


The Many Lives of Harry Potter

by koijuly



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon divergence - Philosopher's stone, Childhood Trauma, M/M, Referances to Kidnapping, Referances to abuse, Starts at end of 'the many faces of Harry Potter', Trying to prevent a civil war, Unhealthy Relationships, WIP: Tags may be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-07-27 04:14:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7603003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koijuly/pseuds/koijuly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter is awaiting his third year in Hogwarts; his first was filled with ignorance; his second he was forced to take a look at his lack-lustre approach and face up to the fact that he could do much better than he had been, that revelation came in the form of alternate versions of him.</p>
<p>Harry is now faced with managing an ever suspicious Dumbledore, proving Sirius innocent and remaining vigilant for Voldemort's rise. All while trying to not stick out because of his inter-dimensional meetings letting him learn faster and things about people he had no way of otherwise knowing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Free an Animagus

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Many Faces of Harry Potter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5924716) by [FalconLux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FalconLux/pseuds/FalconLux). 



> For those that ignored the third tag; Do not read if you haven't read 'the many faces of harry potter.' This is a continuation and makes no sense without it as I will not be going over many things like the pocket realm and AU characters' backgrounds.
> 
> Many thanks to FalconLux; who both offered this for adaptations and agreed to Beta it

**14th July 1993**

Harry decided he didn't want to wait any longer to exonerate Sirius. Frankly Sirius was a pain to live with in a space that was primarily designed for one person, he filled the space without trying. It turned out the three hour bath was the normal, not an anomaly based on having been living rough.

It seemed that Sirius felt the couch, the only seat, was his alone as he often sprawled on it and had to be told to give Harry space, until Harry gave up and acquired a chair for himself. Sirius left dishes everywhere, even the chair and floor, and since Harry had taken him to get a wand, with use of a polyjuice, he had no excuse.

On top of that Harry had to get food four times more regularly as Sirius seemed to eat as much as Harry read, and he couldn't let Sirius get it as he was still wanted in both worlds, and polyjuice was a pain to make. Also there was the fact that Sirius hated being on a lead, but Harry couldn't take him out for a walk without one and refused to let Sirius languish in the tent for days on end.

After considerable stalling Harry had to admit defeat and do something. He needed to get close to Scabbers. And that meant going to the Weasleys and trying to get along with Ron for as long as it took to out Pettigrew. Though with the large family and small space, and their tendency to never leave him alone, he would have to figure out a new plan.

> Dear Mr and Mrs Weasley,
> 
> My uncle has recently announced that he will be going to the continent until after the start of term for work. My aunt and cousin will be accompanying him. I will however have to stay on the isle, and find myself in want of a place to stay. I fear to stay in my relative's house alone as I have heard of Sirius Black's escape.
> 
> I was hoping that I could stay with you. Your family has always seemed inviting and although Ron and I have had some disagreements this past year I was hoping to bury the hatchet with him and begin afresh. I have heard from Hermione that she will be staying with you.
> 
> I hope I haven't crossed a line asking to stay without an invite, but you once said that I could ask for anything. If you are unable or unwilling to put me up, can you tell me someone who would be willing to house me?
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Harry.

Harry read the letter aloud to Sirius, the final check before sending it. He hoped the Weasley's would take pity and accept, but if they went through Dumbledore for who else he could stay with he would probably insist on them accepting. Harry had long been unreachable and now offering a hand in friendship, Dumbledore would see weakness.

Sirius thought for a few moments, got him to repeat it a few times before stating that it would probably be fine and Harry sent it away with Hedwig. He then asked why Harry didn't just turn up on their doorstep, seeing as he'd done it countless times to the Potters, Harry's grandparents and parents, now him by staying in his tent to a degree.

**21st July 1993**

> Harry,
> 
> We would love to have you in our home. Just tell us when and where to collect you.
> 
> Much love, Molly and Arthur.

The response was unsurprising and happily succinct. However it was a week later, so they had to have turned to someone, Harry couldn't help but wonder if Dumbledore would enact something once he arrived at Hogwarts.

After a deliberation with Sirius, where they argued over him turning up polyjuiced as Vernon that Harry could only see ending badly, Harry sent a time and place of a few hours later at kings cross. He said farewell to Sirius and asked him to look after the tent and supplies he left behind. He then apparated to have lunch in one of the cafes there so he could say his uncle had left him as he was running late, even if the Weasley's turned up as soon as they got it.

Arthur was the one to pick him up, taking an early lunch from work to do so. When they arrived in the burrow Molly and Hermione made a fuss over him, while Ron stood back looking sheepish. It appeared the rest of the Weasley's were out.

After the greetings and his stuff was stored away in Ron's room he and Ron were left by Hermione to talk their issues out. They watched each other intently for a while.

"Sorry, mate?" Ron blurted, laughed as though embarrassed and took a deep breath before continuing, looking nervously at a piece of parchment, that he pulled out of his back pocket, every few words. "I mean, I see now how important it is to you to be ready when he comes after you. But I was too wrapped up in being a kid, having fun, you know?" Harry nodded, as Ron had already started the next segment.

"I thought he was gone, didn't believe you when you said you saw him, not completely. I thought you had gone barmy. I mean it makes sense now I've thought about it, yeah?" This time Harry merely raised an eyebrow, not that Ron saw as he was determinedly reading the parchment, stabbing it with his free hand for every point made.

"First you went into shock, but put on a brave face then the shock wore off and you decided to be ready." Ron looked up and watched him during the next sentence. "I wasn't ready to accept that he has come back, I grew up with stories about how awful he was." He eyed the corner of his room hatefully. "You know he killed mum's brothers? Just 'cus they worked with Dumbledore." Ron signed, shook his head before continuing to read the sheet.

"By the time I worked it out, well, I'd made this chasm, didn't I?" Ron looked up and gestured between them before he returned his gaze to the paper, though Harry wasn't sure he was reading this time. "I reasoned that was for the best, I mean if you're his target then you don't want someone like me to be a friend. I was unsupportive of your wish to better yourself and abandoned you rather then work out what had changed, and would be easy pickings for a showing of what he could do to your allies."

Harry found himself smiling, he had thought Ron was a lost cause as well as a lost friend. Instead of accepting he decided to check something. "How much of that was Hermione's words?"

"Most of it, but I meant it all, she just helped me phrase it." When Ron looked up again returned Harry's smile sheepishly. "So mates? Mate?"

"Yeah, mates. But you can't bug me about not being on the quidditch team."

"And you can't try to get me to read stuff outside schoolwork, that's Hermione's job. I couldn't deal with you being another, less lenient, version of her."

They spent the next while talking about things that had occurred during their time apart, often about Hermione. It would never be the same again, but Harry would try as long as Ron did. It wasn't until Hermione joined them, hours later, that either of them laughed.

**25th July 1993**

_"Yes?" Harry called to whomever knocked on his door._

_Snape swept in, reminding Harry of how his namesake usually left a room. "Good evening, Griffin. I have seen that you would like help deciding how best to get Pettigrew to the ministry?"_

_"Yes, and good evening."_

_"Tell me as much as you can about it." Snape instructed, Harry complied as well as he could. Snape sat for a few moments thinking before offering a suggestion. "Arthur works at the ministry, so it is not inconceivable that you ask him to meet an Auror. Maybe you want to be one or heard about your dad being one? Now the question is which ones would recognise an animagus? I think that few-" Snape stopped at Harry's,_

_"Erm." After a nod Harry spoke his thought. "I can force him human. I've been trying it with another. If I can get an Auror into the burrow the rest should be relatively easy."_

_"Then you want someone competent that should also know the spell."_

_They then spent half an hour going over Aurors they had heard of. Which turned out to be very few. Harry went around everyone after that, with Flame and Slyther turning out to know the most, followed by Tom and Hadrian._

_Flame knew them mostly on a personal and reputation level, having grown up with Auror Black. Socialising with them at various parties and celebrations, hearing their grand tales of adventure. Harry was sure that not only had the tale been exaggerated when told to Flame but was being further exaggerated as it was being passed to him, because he couldn't believe that someone had chased a suspect over muggle London firing spells and not been suspended or otherwise removed from active duty for potential muggle sightings and the damage that was described was unreal._

_Slyther had spent much of his life avoiding them, and most of his childhood learning about them and what they could do. He had been taken out of Hogwarts last January and questioned following an almost failed raid on Boxing Day where he was identified as present. Though as he had not triggered the trace they couldn't accuse him of anything beyond being potentially present._

_Tom was aware of many Aurors, from failed missions' more than successful ones. But everything was second hand at best, he rarely got his hands dirty when someone else could do it for him. And he didn't seem to have a great linking of names to actions, several times saying something about one Auror then deciding that was someone else a few times before deciding it was definitely some previously unmentioned person. Hadrian often argued who it was as well but ultimately deferred to Tom._

**15th August 1994**

"Your dad will be arriving soon with Shacklebolt." Harry told Ron.

"I don't see why that means I should take Scabbers downstairs." Ron argued, for the umpteenth time.

"Not only downstairs, into the garden. I'm taking Hedwig. Come on Ron, for me?"

"You _are_ barmy." Ron complained as he picked up Scabbers cage. Harry helped as Hedwig's cage was light enough to be carried in one hand easily even with her inside, whereas Scabbers' was quite heavy. "Why are the clever ones always so mad? It's maddening."

"If we weren't, we'd have no friends. What's knowledge without fun? It would be so boring."

Ron grinned. "So will you take up playing games other than chess?"

"Might see about start a duelling club. The one last year was a farce I'm sure, but if we could convince McGonagall to take it up, I mean with her and Snape it would be discipline central, but at least we would learn?"

"That's not a game. But I'd join you. Could write to her now, get the ball rolling if she's interested?"

"Yeah." Harry entered the garden backwards, using his body to open the door. He was pleased that they made it outside before Shacklebolt and Arthur arrived.

Fred and George had Ginny cornered and were trying to get her to eat something, a simple "Oi!" From Ron sent them scurrying into the house, and caused a muttered thanks from Ginny before she followed.

They sat on the grass, Hedwig's door open though she did not leave, Scabbers' firmly closed. Harry and Ron discussed nothing in particular while waiting.

When they arrived Harry flagged Arthur over, and Shacklebolt followed. He told Ron to get Scabbers out, and when Scabbers bit Ron and made a run for it Harry landed the spell, careful to hide the action as much as possible, to make him a man again. Shacklebolt and Arthur leapt into action and caught Pettigrew, having recognised him. Pettigrew was taken to the ministry to be questioned.

Shacklebolt did not return, but when Arthur did, he expressed surprise that Harry recognised an unregistered animagus and knew the spell to force his human form. Harry told him that Sirius had been the one to tell him. And after an argument about how unwise it was for Harry to have talked to Sirius, one which almost everyone in the house got involved with, Molly said to invite Sirius over.

She reasoned that Sirius would need to give his story to someone they trusted in the ministry to help get Pettigrew for his crimes and Sirius free from the one he was wrongfully convicted of. Harry wrote a letter telling him about it and extending the invite.

**17th August 1993**

> Gryffin,
> 
> I must decline your request seeing as I read the prophet last night. Times are unsafe.
> 
> Padfoot.

Harry blinked at the note. A late edition Prophet was never a good thing. Harry knew that Sirius was awaiting some word on the outcome of Peter's trip to the ministry, and it must have come, but not how they wanted. Harry rushed downstairs to locate a copy of the offending paper.

He found it, predictably, in the rubbish outside.

'Sirius Black's crimes: Worse for the ones we never knew'

Harry stared a few moments at the headline before reading the article.

It detailed a plot, where Sirius had convinced James and Lily to trust him, despite his dark family, awaiting any chance to betray the light. Which was ridiculous any way Harry saw it; Sirius was a kid through and through even as an adult and didn't seem to have an attention span long enough to think something like that out in advance. Admittedly Voldemort only became a public presence when he was ten and his mother could have instructed him to act as such to aid in the war. She was proud of her other son when he became a death eater according to Riddle, but surely it would have been easier to straight away side with them? The article hypothesised when Voldemort went after the Potters, Sirius received the biggest chance.

He then proceeded to corner Pettigrew 'to remove those that opposed his master.' He gave Pettigrew a chance to switch sides. Of course Pettigrew had hidden, and Sirius had taken it out on surrounding muggles. Pettigrew claimed he never heard the news that Sirius was away, and anyway had begun to forget his human life.

It also revealed that there were other, more sinister crimes that had now been tied to his name, using information Pettigrew 'hadn't understood at the time.' They were too numerous to mention but more than a few could be punished by lifetime in Azkaban.

It also revealed he was an unregistered animagus, so everyone had to know to look out for the black dog. It ended on a rather poor joke that Sirius didn't have enough time to repent for what he'd done.

Harry laughed manically as he read. The part about having the re-integrate into society and his struggles with it bringing an edge to it that he couldn't pretend to see as sane. Pettigrew forgot his human life, but was able to give a clear and thought out reasoning about it? He'd even given Sirius a plan beyond what he'd supposedly told Pettigrew in their short encounter.

Ron shook him from his laughing. He stared glassily at Ron, unable to focus or to comprehend the words that were being said to him. It didn't feel like it mattered. A lying shell of a man had caused the death of his parents and had no remorse, to the point of getting his godfather sentenced to return to Azkaban with more 'crimes' to his name on a series of lies that had gotten Pettigrew acquitted of everything. Aiding an investigation willingly could, as it turned out to Harry's horror, give you immunity to crimes you admitted to. And the article was sympathetic to Pettigrew making him look like an innocent.

"Immunity." Harry said. He stared at Ron's mouth moving for a while, it stopped eventually. "Immunity?" More movement, accompanied by a hand waving in front of his face. "He lies and gets immunity?" Ron flicked his forehead. "Fucking immunity. Fucking lying betraying shit whit that's now under protective custody."

"Hush, mum'll hear you."

"Too late." Mrs Weasley called. "Ron off you pop to bed." He gulped, shook his head and took a step sideways to grasp Harry's shoulder from a step behind in a gesture of support that Harry didn't expect so soon after they started talking again. "Right now young man, or you'll be de-gnoming the garden by yourself, without magic, until you can afford to leave." He gulped again.

"Just go." Harry told him. "I'll be up later."

Ron reluctantly left, giving Harry one last sorrowful expression before vanishing into the house.

Mrs. Weasley waited 'til they could no longer hear Ron's retreating steps before speaking softly to Harry, in a condescending tone that made him have to actively occlude his emotions.

"I know you spoke to Sirius and believed his claims. He was always such a nice man, so charming. Always knew what to say to bring a smile to someone's face. But you have to trust the Aurors and the rest of the ministry did their job well. You have to trust them."

"No, they tried to get me expelled because an elf decided that levitating a cake was a good idea. And if Pettigrew was suffering from thinking he was a rat for over a decade then he would not yet be coherent enough to say his name never mind tell this tale. I know, I researched animagi thoroughly. It's why I knew how to force the change. And it's all so far-fetched; it's like it's what he wished had happened. If I could get Lupin here I'm sure he could come with me to talk to Sirius and see the truth."

"Lupin always had a soft spot for him, much like your father. See where it got him?"

Harry sighed, knowing there was no real point. Dumbledore didn't want Sirius to walk free so he never would. He didn't know how to broach that with Sirius. And letters were the only way they could converse until next holidays. He had been hoping to get his permission slip for Hogsmeade signed by Sirius. He doubted they wouldn't spell the paper to enforce no one to fake their guardians' signature.

"If I say that I won't contact for him can I go to bed?"

"Oh Harry dear, I worry about you, you know that? You don't need to be alone in anything. You don't need to shut yourself off when someone's trying to help you. I know you've lost so much too young, but we will always be here for you."

"I know. I love you guys." Harry allowed her to hug him, returning it and feeling like a piece of him had returned. He went to bed musing on what love was, how it affected people. How losing a loved one could drive you to crazy actions like Sirius, meanwhile losing someone you knew for years, that was a constant in your life changed nothing, like Pettigrew. And why didn't she see the inconsistencies?

_Later Harry finished his rant to Flame. Someone he rarely turned to, but he had turned up first and Harry was pissed. Flame retrieved the offending article once Harry had fully simmered down. He returned screaming about lying journalists and bloody idiots accusing people of things without trials while still reading more. Harry zoned out a bit, listening to the flow of anger more than the words themselves._

_Flame was screaming that anyone who spoke to Sirius could see his love for James, and how clearly he was not a death eater because he hated Voldemort. Harry could minutely nod his head in his new detached state, not really listening just compounding his own anger. He was aware that Flame didn't stop after finishing reading, continuing to yell and get his frustration out. But it wasn't Flames world where a mostly innocent man was being sent to Azkaban._

_"What is the punishment for being an unregistered animagus?" Harry whispered._

_Flame stopped mid yell. "What?"_

_"Punishment for being unregistered animagus?"_

_"Azkaban. But that is not fair, it's not like you go to Azkaban for knowing the killing curse, only using it. Just because you could use being an unregistered animagus to spy or" Harry phased out, uncaring of how Flame justified remaining unregistered, only thankful he did. They needed to keep safe, and having everyone know they could turn into a Horntail would get rid of their last line of defence. Even if was only in one world. There was no way Harry Potter registering as an animagus didn't make the front page of the prophet especially with their form._

_Harry began wondering if there had been other mythical beings animagus that had simply hidden what they were. Who would want that type of attention? He couldn't imagine ever wanting to tell anyone he could become a dragon, not even Colin._

_"What are you making a fuss over now?" Raven yelled at Flame shortly after arriving. Flame passed the paper over before slumping in a chair. Harry couldn't help feeling blissful at the silence as Raven read before he offered. "I'm sorry that happened Griffin."_

_Harry nodded, before leaving to his office for some space. He felt deflated by the indignant rage of Flame. Maybe he was being unthoughtful, thinking the best of someone who was evil._

_No, he'd met Riddle, who appeared normal until you covered certain topics and it became clear that he wasn't light. It wasn't like he hid it; it was so fundamental to who he was. And Slyther who sometimes didn't seem as dark as he was, and John who was dark in a way that still could send shivers down Harry's spine. Then there was Hadrian, Tom, Claw and even Ryff._

_He was friends with many dark wizards, and he knew that Sirius wasn't acting when he was surprised by Harry's less than light attitude. Sirius was a light wizard to the core, despite his family's dark tendencies, and still struggled with Harry's beliefs._

_But every adult still saw Harry as a useless child who couldn't see evil for what it was, at least in his world because Tom seemed to respect them all, especially those that had survived the Dursleys alone._

_Thinking of evil made him remember the first evil act he'd witnessed. He shuddered at the memory, Voldemort demanding his mother step aside, a scream and a flash of green. That was evil, killing the mother to get to the child._

_Every Harry could remember that time, Harry knew because a few weeks back Riddle had decided they should share their earliest memory. Though Riddle's was slightly different. There was no request to step aside before the scream, no flash of green, instead Voldemort had picked him up and cooed over him, which caused Flame to stutter then protested. Harry felt it was sweet, if you ignored that no request to step aside had been made, a kind gesture that showed Voldemort wasn't as evil as everyone kept telling him._

  
_Harry glanced at the clock, and noticing the time, scurried out. Wondering what Mrs. Weasley would think if she knew he was rushing to not be late to learn Dark Arts. That he had gone as far as trying a few spells out._


	2. The start of term

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah sorry about the wait: having building work done and it cut out the internet :(
> 
> to be honest i'm not going to guarantee uploading regularly as my internet isn't consistent in any case. on several occasions roadworks have knocked it out for months...

**1 st September 1993**

"It's your fault Ron; it always is if we're late." Hermione called from behind. Eventually they found a carriage that was empty apart from one person.

"This is the last carriage." Harry lamented.

"Who do you think he is?" Ron asked.

"R. J. Lupin." Colin suggested.

"How do you know that?"

"He read." Hermione pointed to the suitcase above the sleeping passenger.

"What phase is the moon in?" Harry pondered aloud.

"I don't know." Hermione said at the same time as Ron said,

"You're not accusing him of -?"

Harry cut Ron off with. "He was a good friend of dads and Sirius's. Give me a moment."

Harry sat and visited Refuge, checking the chart Flame maintained on the board, which included recovery times and other bits of info about lycanthropy. The moon had just been, symptoms included grumpiness and difficulty sleeping. Lupin was probably awake.

"It's just been. Leave him resting."

"You think he is a-"

"Good man. Isn't that all that matters? I wonder what he's doing here though."

"He could be our new defence teacher."

"That is actually a reasonable suggestion." Which got Ron beaming, and Harry knew that was a sign of how unbending he had been with Ron. This year, unlike last, Ron had read at least a bit of every textbook they had been told to get, even going as far as asking help understanding bits, and in that moment Harry vowed to himself to not attack Ron unprovoked. Not even for his disgusting eating habits or if he copied from Harry's work, though he would try and avoid that happening.

They chatted idly, with Harry reading the book he'd gotten from Hermione. It was a history book about the lead up and aftermath of the statute of secrecy which took the muggle world away from the wizarding world. Harry was surprised to discover it was put in place by wizards to protect Muggles and prevent a civil war across Europe. Of course the Malfoy's had been vocally against it, instead wishing to fight the Muggles. He was proud to discover that the Potters of that time were avidly for it. Even using their influence with having the second Potter wizengamot member in history.

It became cold, Harry found himself shivering and his mood dropping.

"Dementors." He whispered, he could think of nothing else that would cause the mind numbing chill, and he couldn't bring forth any happy memories by the time he'd realised, luckily it wasn't a happy memory that he had learned the patronus charm with. His mother's death was still the most effective memory to use. Grabbing his wand he called forth his stag.

Once the Dementor was repelled Lupin shifted to stare at Harry.

"Your father was always accomplished beyond his years." Lupin spoke.

"You were too." Harry replied, which got a curt nod before Lupin continued.

"But I've never seen one so young cast a corporeal Patronus before."

Harry didn't know what to say. He was one of the Harry's that had taken longest to learn the charm, not managing much more than wisps until Ryff whispered to him that the memory only needed to be strong not happy. Though Riddle had told him it had taken well over a year for himself to become proficient at it. "Thank you." Harry finally settled on.

Lupin left them, telling them he was going to find the idiot that let those things on the train, and started passing out chocolate to those he passed, leaving some with Colin, Hermione, Ron and Harry.

"Blimey Harry. You know Percy can't even do that, I'm not sure about Bill and Charlie, but I don't think they can either." Ron informed with a mouth full of chocolate.

"They say only adults can cast fully formed Patronuses." Hermione added after finishing her chocolate. Harry simply shrugged and returned to reading.

_Harry knocked tentatively on Riddle's door._

_"Enter." That answered the question of if he was here._

_"Gryffin, what brings you here so early?"_

_"You've heard about my Pettigrew problem?" Riddle nodded an affirmative. "Well, Lupin is my new Defence teacher."_

_Harry stared at Riddle wondering how to phrase his next question. He hadn't thought past the burning need to have someone else's opinion of if he should bring up Sirius and Pettigrew's lies. Someone he wasn't worried would judge him or report to Dumbledore. Riddle turned his eyes to Harry, looking way too knowing._

_"I don't think a single one of us didn't get him." Riddle ventured into the silence. "You want to talk to him about Sirius?"_

_"Yes. But I haven't met anyone who doesn't believe the lies. Everyone that knows we have contact tells me to cut ties with him"_

_"Are you not a Gryffindor?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"Brashness is common with Gryffindors, Lupin is one too. I'm sure just coming out with it would get a reasonable response."_

_"That's how Ron apologised." Harry mused, staring at Riddles fire._

_"Ron apologised? Well, isn't your world full of surprises."_

_Harry found himself telling the tale of re-befriending Ron, including the Pettigrew interlude as the faith and support Ron had put in Harry regarding Sirius's innocence was immense. Surpassing even Hermione, who agreed about the holes but did not stand up to anyone who accused Sirius of wrong doing beyond never registering._

_Riddle seemed interested, and would ask Harry for thoughts and feelings behind actions he was unsure of, and what Harry thought drove Ron's actions at various points. Most of which Harry had put little thought into before asked for an explanation. Many of the reactions came down to being a told to be a good Gryffindor according to Riddle, who was clearly baffled by why having his shoulders held could be seen as supportive._

_Harry thanked Riddle before leaving. He went to the board, it would be a week before Lupin would get a proper rest. Harry decided against waiting a whole week, he would make his apology then if needed._

**2 nd September 1993**

"Harry if you could come with me?" Harry almost froze at Dumbledore's request, he'd expected it as soon as he arrived, not the next morning as he was leaving the hall after breakfast.

"Certainly Headmaster." It didn't take them long to find an empty classroom. Dumbledore locked it and sat at the furthest desk before motioning Harry to sit on the chair opposite. Once Harry was settled Dumbledore offered him a lemon drop, which Harry declined. Dumbledore took one however.

"McGonagall has told me of your request for another duelling club. Yet you never went to the first one?"

"Lockhart was incompetent." Thank god he got himself into St. Mungo's, while trying to teach a counter to a body control curse he had shown his ineptitude. No one even knew what had happened to him, but he was no longer on Hogwarts grounds and Harry found he cared little. "Professor McGonagall is not. It is a good idea to have such a thing with Voldemort out there sir."

"Quite right, Harry, quite right. I spoke to the Weasleys, they seem certain you stayed with your relatives for the first part of the holidays, but we both know that isn't true. Where were you, Harry?"

Something in the way Dumbledore said that made Harry sure lying would cause him problems. "Safe, safer than I could have been there."

"Safer than the safest place in the world for you?"

"Isn't Hogwarts supposed to be the safest place?"

"For most people. Most do not have love magic placed on them by their dying mother. Staying with them made you untouchable to any who wish you dead, like Sirius who recently escaped Azkaban, as I'm sure you've heard?"

"And I'm sure you heard I spoke to him. Hardly the deranged killer."

"Why would you believe him after the Aurors found Peter to be a man terrified for his life? He has spent years running from someone who wasn't pursuing him anymore. Peter always was scared of Sirius."

"I'm afraid we aren't going to agree, but are you at least willing to accept he would be a better guardian than the Dursleys? Though you alone never seemed worried about my malnutrition and small appetite from years of near starvation. That place is somewhere I _will_ get beaten. I'm safe with the Weasleys."

"It can do little harm since you broke the magic that your mother left with you when she gave up her life for you."

Guilt trip? Two could play at that. Harry shifted his shirt up a fraction, to show the burn from that time Vernon had deemed he was taking too long to cook the steak and had walloped him around the head, knocking Harry over and against the pan that burned through the threadbare clothes he'd been given before he could react. "Because I was slow at cooking. It's not like I can control the heat from flames, is it?" Dumbledore had the good grace to look appalled and give Harry permission to stay with whomever welcomed him.

**5 th September 1993**

It was Sunday that Harry managed to get Lupin alone.

"Pettigrew." Harry said to Lupin, instead of a greeting. They were in a forgotten corridor, which Harry had pretty much stalked Lupin into. After all he'd been tailing the Professor almost all of yesterday.

"Is a liar. That's what you want to hear?"

"That's what I hope you know."

Lupin nodded. "Molly told me you had contact with Sirius."

"I do. And I know he's innocent of everything but being an animagus."

"How?" Asked in a serious tone, Harry wasn't sure if Lupin believed Pettigrew. He had thought the nod was agreeing that he knew, but it could have been because Harry was acting as expected. Brash Gryffindor, like his father was probably. It certainly sounded like he was thoughtless and made snap decisions from Flame's tales and Snape's letters from Lily.

"I only want you to know Pettigrew was my parent's secret keeper; he did everything to frame Sirius, and to get off Scott free he lied while he ensured Sirius's return to Azkaban."

"I know Harry. I knew the moment Pettigrew resurfaced."

"About your condition. I could brew wolfsbane potion, if you want?"

"I have someone willing. Thank you for the offer. If I may ask, how did you know?"

"I have my resources."

"But you're not willing to say who?"

"It wasn't Sirius."

"I never thought it was. Goodbye, Harry." With that Lupin vanished down a secret corridor that Harry had no knowledge of. Lupin was a Marauder; he must have chosen this spot to allow Harry to catch up so that he could disappear at short notice.

Harry spent a few minutes trying to work out where Lupin had gone before deciding to memorise the secret passages of Hogwarts that Flame had written up and stored in his room. That could wait however, Harry was hungry so he decided it was time for Dinner. Where he would tell Ron and Hermione that Lupin agreed with him.

**8 th September 1993**

"Welcome." McGonagall called to the students in the hall. She had Snape slightly behind to one side, looking regal and Lupin to the other also slightly behind, looking less scruffy than usual. "I'm sure you all wish to get straight into hexing each other, but that is not the purpose of today. There are many traditions and rules to duelling. Today we are going to cover the lead up to the duel. If anyone does not wish to give us their full attention I suggest you leave now and never return. We have agreed that you will not be using a wand for the foreseeable future in this club. We will be using muggle duelling methods for many lessons as not everyone here is ready for an actual duel."

Harry watched as many of the Gryffindors that had followed him left, but not the Twins, Ginny, Neville or any of the quidditch players, whom were still eyeing Harry with annoyance. Everyone in Gryffindor knew he had asked for this, and both McGonagall and Snape to lead it.

Throughout the hall many left, mostly Gryffindors and then Slytherins' much to Harry's surprise, a few Ravenclaw but not a single Hufflepuff left, another surprise, but there was only a handful of them to begin with, so perhaps only the serious ones came along. Quite sensible when you considered the teachers.

McGonagall began to teach them the history of calling a duel, explaining the origins of many traditions surrounding it. From the initial using it to defend one's honour, to now having several reasons which still included one's own honour, but also other people's honour, or for someone acting badly to be forced off their path which was mostly for war times, or simply to prove one's worth or finally for fun between friends and trusted acquaintances. Some of the reasons had different rules for bits, though the duel itself was always similar.

Harry paid attention, though he knew far more of this than not thanks to refuge. Colin and Hermione looked equally fascinated, and while Ron was paying attention he also looked as though he knew some of it, giving glares to the twins every so often causing them to chuckle. Clearly they had told Ron lies about duelling that he'd taken to heart. Like the tale that the sorting was facing a troll.

When McGonagall stopped and took a step backwards, placing her between the other two teachers, Snape stepped forwards. "Of course we don't expect you to understand the full complexities from that small history lesson of modern duelling, so we are going to split you into three groups. Each group will spend the rest of today with one of us learning either wartime duelling, peacetime duelling or friendly duelling." With that the three teachers got off the stage to begin sending them to one of the three doors.

Harry felt glad that the twins and Ron were in his group, but put out that no one else he was friendly with were. They were joined by Lupin when the final students were sent towards their groups. Lupin's words were quiet, calm and somehow enthralled them all into silence.

"As I have faced more friends in practise than actual duels that is what I'll be covering. Next week you'll have Snape and war time duels, then McGonagall with peacetime duels. We are in a period that can be considered peace, unless you are Harry or his friends and needing to face Sirius Black.

"Following the advanced basics we will cover muggle duelling methods, focusing on what I believe the muggles call fencing? It is a means of sword fighting with points, and isn't designed to be in any way harmful. Next term when the second years are all deemed to be capable of a decent shield we will consider wands becoming an option. Or earlier if they decide to leave until they have more spells in their repertoire.

"As I don't see this club suddenly stopping, it may be wise to leave it a few years? Even for those in higher years." Lupin gave a serious, stern look to several students, including Ron and Ginny. Harry felt slightly grateful that the gaze didn't even near him.

"And I warn you not everyone will be sticking to curriculum spells once wands are allowed, and that many will have mastered spells you haven't even heard of, perhaps even ones they have invented." This time Lupin's gaze was simply proud, gazing at Harry, and with more surprise then Harry should have felt, it drifted to the twins, a Ravenclaw he had never met, and finally to Malfoy; though it looked more neutral at that point.

Then Lupin began the actual lesson. "When it comes to duelling friends, it mostly comes down to who you, and they are. For instance while I was at school, if my friends or I felt like duelling we would make a certain noise, which I will not repeat, and another would mirror it to accept. Many were surprised when we would then, seemly from nowhere, lunge into a duel.

"We each knew the rules, we each knew what each other was comfortable with. One was unwilling to be bound in any way, another hated to be muted, and another hated any form of mind or emotional based spells. That would be James, your father." Lupin looked straight at Harry. "Do you share the aversion?"

"I've never thought about it." Harry admitted, and he hadn't, no one in refuge used those types of spells. And so far none of the spells that he had felt had caused him any level of panic. Though the idea of the unforgivables made him shiver but he thought it likely that was the case with everyone. Who would _want_ to be controlled, tortured or killed?

"It is something you should all consider, and discuss with those you consider friends. Personally I dislike any transformation based magic being placed on me." Harry understood, being forced to turn into a werewolf was painful, even while using a wolfsbane potion. Anything that reminded Lupin of that was cruel.

"As well as working out what spells you and your friends dislike, you must decide how formal a challenge must be and if what type, or types are available. Lily always insisted on a direct challenge, James refused direct challenges. When James wanted to challenge Lily he would, when she wanted to challenge him she would ask for anyone, refusing our sound as undignified quite rightly, but we all knew it meant James alone.

"The point I'm trying to make here is that friendly duels can be part of any relationship, but you have to discuss these things to know what is acceptable and not simply with one friend but the various groups you spend time with. Aware of how different people being around can change the rules slightly. Understand that it is fluid, and changes with time.

"You cannot know you dislike a spell vehemently until you feel it the first time, and those you hate may change in time. In many ways it is more complex than duelling a rival or someone on the other side of a war whom may otherwise be neutral to you. Which is why I insisted we cover it, though many refuse to face friends outside of the classroom."

With that he got them to split up into groups of any size provided everyone in the group was somewhat friendly. Harry joined Ron, his brothers and sister without much thought. Ginny was acting shy again. It drove him scatty, both Ron and various Harry's had told him what a loud-mouthed opinionated brat she could be, but with him, and Flame, she was timid.

They were then told to discuss spells that they refused to have cast by friends and how challenges could be made.

"Spiders." Ron stated. The twins laughed. "Yeah very funny, traumatise me you did - fringin' huge spider on my bed - I swear it was bigger than my torso."

"It wasn't that bad." Fred said.

"Barely the size of your palm." George added.

"Maybe if I were Hagrid! But I refuse to let you summon spiders, or make me see one in any way." The twins chuckled quietly to themselves.

"Snakes." Harry decided, he doubted being able to talk to animals was common, and snakes were Slytherin and likely seen as dark by many because of that.

"You're scared of Snakes? You must really hate looking at Slytherins."

"That's not why. Just don't summon them, I'm cool with seeing them."

"I have yet to find a spell that upsets Fred." George provided, breaking the tense silence that had fallen.

"Nor I, George." Fred added, they grinned at each other before shifting to either side of Ginny. "I think little sis' has been tongue tied, George."

"Do you remember the counter Fred?"

"I seem to remember painful shock works quite well?"

"Why yes, that sounds right."

"I'm okay!" Ginny squealed, then sighed. "I haven't really got anything I can think of."

They swiftly moved onto how a challenge could be made, with Lupin coming to their group as they discussed leaving a fake snake on Harry's bed with their name on the snake's tongue as a way to challenge him, mostly as a joke, but Harry felt that he would find one from the twins at some point. Which had Lupin intrigued by how they had gotten there.

After a discussion about it, and everything else the group had discussed, Lupin said he was confident they understood and sent them on their way. The whole way back the twins basically orchestrated how they would challenge the others, they already had their own way to challenge each other which they refused to share.


	3. Trust and frienship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer; views and opinions expressed by characters are their own and are not necessarily shared by the writer, especially Gryffin...
> 
> And another big thanks to FalconLux for continuing to read and fix the initial mess that this was XD

**20 th September 1993**

_"That fucking dirtbag is being trusted! I mean he could put anything in that potion!" Flame yelled. Always a good welcome to Refuge, Harry mused. He was far from the only onlooker, but most people only ever managed to rile Flame more in these moods, and Harry always found himself unwilling to try._

_"Need I remind you that if he did, he would be out of a job?" Raven responded, using his trying-to-calm-Flame voice._

_"So would Remus! But he'd be able to get another job! Remus takes ages to find anything! No one wants to employ a Werewolf!"_

_"If he wanted to lose Remus his job he need only tell Lucius anonymously that Remus is a werewolf."_

_"What if he poisons him?"_

_"Azkaban. Pretty sure he wouldn't risk it."_

_"What if he does? And then kills Dumbledore? I mean I'm the only other person who knows that it's Snape!" Harry decided that was probably who was making it in his world. Not a bad choice, no matter how much he disliked Snape, it was clear that he had pride in the abilities he had brewing. Harry had no doubt Remus would be given a perfect potion every month without fail._

_"I'm sure others know."_

_"Then he'll kill me!" Flame was into his not listening mind-set, Raven made a long suffering expression for a fraction of a second before Flame could catch it._

_Pretty much everyone but Raven left, Harry included. Harry took some time picking a book, trying to find one with spells he could try without instruction or a target. He was mildly surprised to open his door to find John sprawled on a chaise lounge._

_"How do you do it?" John asked as Harry dropped the book on his desk, but made no action to open it. Instead leaning against the table nonchalantly._

_"Do what?"_

_"Deal with people like Flame every day without_ killing _someone?"_

_"I don't think I know anyone like Flame other than him."_

_"Ron's just like that. You say he was your friend, and you share a dorm with him?"_

_"He's not that bad. A bit moody when he's not eaten recently. He never goes off like that."_

_"Bull. He screamed at me for twenty minutes once because we were partnered by Lockhart and I used the spell he was supposed to be blocking correctly first time, he lost me house points."_

_"Let me guess, you did it without warning while he wasn't paying attention?"_

_"An attacker isn't going to wait for you to focus on them."_

_"He's a kid, he doesn't think much past when do I next eat, or could I steal a school broom and go for a flight. The answer is he can, but usually Flitch catches him and he gets detention, perhaps eighty percent of the time."_

_"How do you not hex him?"_

_"I remind myself it's not worth it. It rarely is."_

_"Isn't seeing someone pay for their actions always worth it?"_

_Harry thought back to the satisfaction on Ron's face when he tried hit Draco with that spell to vomit Slugs, just before it backfired. "Not to me. Anyway, who says it's our place to judge? If we disagree we don't have to be friends, and if they break rules then they will be punished by authority. If they break social constructs; they'll end up with no friends or similar minded ones."_

_"You think I break social constructs?"_

_"No. Choosing to be a loner is hardly the normal, but it doesn't mean you are incapable of making friends, only that you choose not to put the effort in to get to know people."_

_"I don't trust them. Anyway they are useless."_

_"I know, I don't blame you. I feel like the Dursley's were worse to you, muggle society in general was harder on you. They were hardly nice to me, but I think of everyone here I was one of the ones they treated nicest. Your house can't help, hiding your hand is far more normal."_

_John stared blankly for a moment. "What's it like having Friends? Ones that you trust?"_

_"Like this, I guess. I mean you can ask me things, you don't need to worry I'll pass it on, because who could I pass it on to? You can get an opinion that's different from yours about issues, one that isn't forced on you so you could ignore completely. Or you could talk about nothing in particular, like quidditch and the weather. You don't need to rely on them, but they should be there when you really need them."_

_"Are we friends?"_

_"I feel like we are. You creep me out sometimes, but you are fun to spend time with."_

_"What about the other Harry's?"_

_"Erm?" Harry was sure he couldn't talk for the other Harry's, he had no idea what they thought of John._

_"Do you think of them as friends?"_

_"I consider them friends, some more than others."_

_John returned to staring blankly, after a few minutes he left with a simple goodbye._

**28 th September 1993**

Harry was curious as to who would be teaching defence. It was nearing the full moon, Remus would be beginning to feel it. When Snape opened the door he couldn't help the question that slipped out.

"What are _you_ doing teaching Defence?"

"Remus is under the weather. I will be teaching the class until he returns."

"I was meaning why is it that _you_ are the teacher, doesn't the wizarding world have substitute teachers? And even without them why are _you_ , who dislikes 'foolish wand waving', teaching a class that requires an amount of wand waving?"

"That is not your concern; five points from Gryffindor for questioning the actions of your superiors and another ten for your lack of manners."

Points of for asking what Harry considered a valid question, and he got no answer. Okay he had been rude by not saying sir, which was something he knew Snape did not take kindly to. However he found that he wanted to show Snape that he was not inferior, younger certainly but that meant nothing in a duel.

Snape chose to skip ahead in their reading, straight to werewolves. It was so blatant that he was trying to make them aware of the situation. At the end he gave them a quiz on what they had read. He kept calling Harry for answers, and deducting points for 'being smug'' meanwhile giving various Slytherin points for half wrong answers because they tried.

Harry went to McGonagall to ask about why Snape was the substitute instead of someone outside the school as would be expected in Muggle schooling. The answer was simple, he rarely had class when defence was taught, and the only person willing to substitute was a potions teacher with no desire to teach a full schedule, never mind a different subject.

And because Dumbledore was in charge of getting the substitute, and timetables, Harry had no doubt it had been set-up to keep his spy happy. Though from the stories in Refuge it seemed to be a lost cause, Snape was firmly on his own side, though tended to lean towards Voldemort rather than Dumbledore.

**13 th October 1993**

"You know, it's scary when you wield a wand, but it's barely better with a sword." Hermione, complemented? Harry. He wasn't sure, her tone was both approving and disapproving.

"Aren't you thankful you're my friend?" He joked, hoping to figure it out by her next reaction.

"Of course, Harry. We'll always be friends." Her tone was exasperated, as though they'd discussed this countless times. And he still wasn't sure if her last comment was a reprimand of some form.

"I hope so." Ron said, seemingly missing her tone as his was filled with cheer. "Because without the both of you, my life is so boring. I think I'd fail everything."

"You wouldn't fail everything. You'd just be forced to learn to apply yourself without coaxing."

"You really think so?" Ron asked, with hope filling his voice. "Because I think I would do so badly that mum'll kick me out and I'd have to beg the twins to let me stay with them, even going as far as being their guinea pig."

"Forty points from Gryffindor for chatting rather than focusing." Snape called. "And it'll be twenty points each next time I catch you not taking this seriously."

Hermione bowed to Harry, who returned it. Apparently regardless of gender in fencing you bowed to your opponent before and after. Perhaps it was something to do with the ridiculous get up not really bending well for curtsying.

Once Colin and Ron finished Ron took Hermione's place. Harry proceeded to have fun chasing down the mostly defensive Ron rather than being forced to defend by Hermione's surprising enthusiasm and seemingly blood thirsty nature that showed why she'd gotten into Gryffindor.

**23 rd October 1993**

Of course the Dementors would come closer to the first quidditch match to see what all the jubilation was about, of course they would target Harry while he flew well above the stadium, of course no one reacted quickly enough to stop him falling while remembering his mother's last scream, and of course he was the only one attacked. Harry had to bite back the sigh at how inevitable it seemed in hindsight as he woke, undoubtedly in the hospital wing.

He was unsurprised to find Hermione, Ron and Colin around his bed. All looking worried at him, he smiled weakly.

"Chocolate?" He asked and Ron passed him a bar from his lap.

"Lupin left it for you." Ron gave as explanation.

"Next time I take my wand." he promised before consuming the bar. He felt a little less drained afterwards. "How long was I out for?"

"A couple of hours. Dumbledore broke your fall and Lupin brought you here."

"Can you thank them for me? I want to get some rest."

Hermione nodded before leading the others out. Ron looked like he was about to say something but a tut from Hermione stopped him; he glared at her before saying goodbye. Harry was in refuge less than a second later. _He went to the board and added a little question if anyone else had ever passed out in their world._

_"Hey Gryffin."_

_"Flame? I wasn't expecting anyone here at this time."_

_"Me neither. I got myself in the hospital wing so I thought why not here? Counts as resting."_

_"Same. Dementors on the field."_

_"Yeah? I got in a fight with Draco, he didn't like that I won the match, hexed him good. Had him singing and dancing uncontrollably. His hex was disturbed by his dancing, they're not sure what he's done to me, but my body doesn't move when I try to walk or run, though I can move my legs normally otherwise. It sucks."_

Obviously _Flame would fight with Draco about something meaningless and_ expect _Harry to be on his side, and_ clearly _Flame's temporary lack of travel outweighs Harry's almost had his soul sucked out by a Dementor Harry thought to himself sarcastically. Though maybe it actually was as Harry's was now in the past unlike Flames. "I'll bet." Harry stated. Which got him a blow by blow account of the fight. Turned out there had been several other spells before they got to the headline spells._

_Harry decided that it was a poorly formed leg locker curse that had gotten Flame into his current predicament, and when he mentioned it Flame vanished. Harry wasn't sure if he was relieved to be left alone or offended that he wasn't even offered any form of farewell or acknowledgement to his suggestion._

_Flame did not return, Harry knew because be stationed himself in the entry room to read. Meditating, on his side, in his own world to give himself a shot at being roused if needed._

**5 th November 1993**

_Guy Fawkes' night. If he were in muggle Britain there would be firework displays everywhere. Likely home ones on the lead up too, meaning he would have had little sleep this last week._

_Harry was aware that wizards didn't celebrate the night, he himself wasn't sure what was being celebrating. It was odd that his first thought was to ask Riddle the meaning behind the celebration. Surely Hermione would have been a better choice?_

_However the decision to ask Riddle had got him in this mess. He was sitting on Riddle's visitor chair, with the absolute certainty that Riddle was lying about being okay. He couldn't put a finger on why however._

_"I'm fine. Why did you come here?"_

_"I don't remember." Harry lied, glaring at Riddle. "I know you're upset, I won't judge."_

_"Look who's lying now."_

_"So you admit you're lying, that you're not okay?"_

_"Fine. I'm not okay." And the first tear fell, which let Harry know what it was that had clued him in, Riddles eyes had been watering but he hadn't consciously noticed. Harry got up and rested a comforting, hopefully, arm around Riddle as he watched someone he respected break down. "I." A few moments passed where Harry wordlessly tried to sooth him, the sobs lessened as he patted Riddles back having drawn him into a proper hug and Harry's wordless noises seemed to be helping. "I chose not to kill him."_

_Harry felt more than a little lost, Riddle was crying because he spared someone? He blurted without thinking, "Who? Why?"_

_"Doesn't matter who. But I spared him because I thought he could be trusted. That he was on our side."_

_"What did he do?"_

_"Father respected my decision." Riddle blatantly ignored his question, "That was last year. If I hadn't heard the various stories from here I wouldn't have hesitated to kill him in the most painful manner I could think of."_

_"What did he do?"_

_"Initially was disloyal, but today he killed Narcissa, among others, and kidnapped me. I don't know why. Thankfully father cut him down while I was defenceless. He told me none of it was my fault." Riddle let out a shuddering breath before sobbing anew._

_Harry continued to hug Riddle, soothing him as much as he could while he tried to work out who had been spared and then caused this. Not that he could name half the death eaters, but Riddle had said stories from here, so likely one of the few that came up often, one of the Lestranges' perhaps? All the stories talked of their loyalty._

_"You know he thought I was under imperius, not that I can be, father was so proud when he went to teach me to resist and I already could. Still a child but able to shrug off one of the most potent curses." Harry could feel the smile against his neck, hear the pride as Riddle spoke. "I could try you if you wish? It would be nice to know that it's a Harry thing."_

_"Okay." Harry whispered, keeping it brief and hoping Riddle would get whatever he was still sobbing about off his chest._

_"He tried to break the enchantment, one that wasn't on me, which hurt. He thought that because I had spared him, when given a choice rather than a command, I had shown my real self. He said that if he could break the curse I wouldn't need to be father's puppet killer." Riddle kneaded Harry's shirt for a while. Until it clicked that Riddle wanted some input._

_"You're not a puppet killer. You kill because they are a threat to you, or your father. I mean you chose to save him even if it turned out to be unwise."_

_Riddle nodded against him. "But I see you, the others, so unwilling to kill anyone. You know father is less likely to kill than me? He jokes our eyes show our favoured curse and tries to work out others on that basis._

_"But what if I am his willing killer, willing to do it because it's necessary when he still cringes away because that's how he brought me up to be? To kill when he needs to but can't bring himself to. I think that's why he trusted my decision to spare the life that was given to me to take."_

_"If I knew letting this person live would only harm those I protected." Harry stopped, unwilling to even think what he would do to such a person, glad he had never needed to find out, at least not yet. Hurting him he could deal with, hurting those around him he was less certain of, because he was becoming more aware of his protective nature. Trying to cheer Riddle up was compounding that he was perhaps overly protective even when he could do so little._

_"Would you kill?"_

_Harry heard his own shaken breath exhale as he was forced to face what he was unwilling to in the wake of Riddles hushed question. "I think so. I would hesitate no doubt but I think if I needed to I would."_

_"Thank you, Gryffin."_

_"We're here to make Harry Potter a force to be reckoned with, regardless of the world. Can't have you having a crisis of faith. Who would you even turn to? Dumbledore would hex you to nothing thinking you're a spy. God knows what your father would do if he caught you with the light."_

_Riddle laughed, and sobbed. It was undignified but somehow Harry found it calming. As though realising for the first time Riddle was human made him feel more at home in refuge. "Why are you here, Gryffin?"_

_"I don't remember." And this time it was the truth._

_"Imperio." Harry's mind was filled with a voice, so like his own thoughts, which told him to dance. That wasn't right. He was comforting Riddle, dancing wouldn't help. It took a moment before his thoughts felt like his own and he returned full attention to soothing Riddle. "Harry Potter is immune to Imperius. That's another secret we should keep." Harry merely nodded as he hummed and stroked Riddles back. The sobs lessened slowly._

**29 th December 1993**

"Professor Lupin?" Harry was not expecting to find him as the visitor to the burrow that wanted to talk to him in private, he had been certain it was Dumbledore and now regretted the hours he spent arguing against it. Though he should have realised that Dumbledore would demand not ask for an audience.

"Harry just the man I wished to meet." As if he hadn't been waiting out here for hours. In the snow. His hair turned white and lips blue from it.

"Why?"

"I want to see Sirius, to apologise."

"If you are no threat to him then you shall find him."

"How?"

Harry smiled. "You made the marauders map, surely you can think of or find something?"

"I can only find things that are far too dark for me to consider."

"Very well. I'll take you to the vicinity, but if you can't see him you will leave while I help him move."

"I understand." With that Harry took a broom then lead Lupin to where he had moved Sirius to. A forest not far from a minor muggle town where he could scavenge for scraps when supplies ran low. Charmed and warded against muggles and those that would wish Sirius ill. Lupin stared at the tent, clearly a wizard's tent by the style of turrets that Sirius had added, in the middle of the forest. "He's in there?"

"Probably. He might have gone to town to get a paper. You know the muggle papers are reporting on his continued evading arrest? And they have these lost dog ones which thankfully isn't the right breed. As if a muggle could stop him anyway. I would send him the prophet, but I'm worried Dumbledore might track it."

"I'll send it, and any other news I hear." Lupin promised before rushing into the tent. Only to back out hands raised in a gesture of surrender. Sirius' wand pointed straight at his chest.

"Harry?" Sirius called as he exited, wand still trained on Lupin. "Why did you bring him here?"

Harry said nothing, instead he entered the tent and left them to it. He checked the various stores to see what was lacking. It was about a half hour before Lupin and Sirius returned. Both serious but no longer looking like they were about to quarrel.

"You speak to other worlds versions of you?" Lupin asked. Harry glared at Sirius briefly, it was their secret and there had been a wand oath, before replying.

"And a Voldemort. Who's kinder than some light wizards I have met. Far more forgiving than is made out."

Lupin nodded. "You are sure that it is real?" Sirius punched him, lightly by the lack of reaction. Or maybe Lupin expected it. They had been friends for most of their life.

"You already know it is. If Sirius didn't tell me you are a werewolf, who did? If Sirius didn't tell me of his innocence, who did? Of what Pettigrew had done? I know things that I couldn't possible know otherwise. Like I believe Snape is brewing for you."

"Snivellus?" Sirius shouted. "You're letting that slime ball brew for you? How can you know it's safe?"

"Dumbledore trusts him, I trust Dumbledore's opinion. If he thinks I can trust Severus with this then I will."

"Severus? Severus! Since when were you on first name basis?"

"He brews it perfectly every time. Without exception it is with me before I need it."

Sirius sighed. "Harry has told me that Snape adopted a version of him. One that was advanced beyond his years, already finished his O.W.L.s and looking to complete his N.E.W.T.s this year. That that version of him trusted Snape. But that's not here."

"So these other Harrys', are they nice?" Lupin began. Harry resigned himself to answering questions until Lupin was satisfied, but only after he got an unbreakable vow that nothing about this would be shared. He was more careful of the wording after Sirius had told Lupin about it, and got Sirius to redo it.


	4. The ups and downs

**6 th January 1994**

"Today we will be drawing wands for the first time." Lupin announced, they had taken turns to lead the first speech over the months of duelling club. "I expect much excitement but I must remind you all if you break any one of the rules you will be banned. For today everyone should pick one partner to face. Someone you trust and hopefully someone close to you in ability and spell knowledge."

Hermione glanced at Harry, which confirmed they were going to stay together. Ron took a step to the side, elbowed Neville to ask if they could go together. The twins threw an arm around the other, making their decision clear to everyone. Colin turned to Ginny and stammered out his request to be her partner for this. Harry was glad none of his friends were rejected.

A few minutes later they were having their first duel, though they were missing a second as in the vast majority of duels a second was unneeded, and if someone was in bad enough state to require one then they and their partner were expected to go to the hospital wing.

Harry still hadn't told his friends about refuge; he felt like it was cheating and they would either be angry for keeping it secret, though the longer he left it the more likely that was, or they would be jealous. Regardless he found he could not imagine them taking it well. Which meant many of the spells he knew could be taken off his choices, anything Dark or otherwise unavailable in the Hogwarts library. He would include the ones that came from the measly Gryffindor bookcases as he had never been seen to take anything from there he might have difficulty explaining where that knowledge came from.

He started with a simple expelliarmus and a dodge for Hermione's minor blasting curse. He followed that with a leg-locker curse and she returned a jelly legs curse as she fell forwards, though Harry's shield was sufficient. Finally he landed a stupefy before undoing all his curses with her wand in his other hand. She happily conceded.

At the end of the hour, in which Lupin and McGonagall had both passed to watch them duel and congratulate Harry on his form, Hermione still hadn't landed a single spell. She was pissy with him until Ron pointed out, in jest, that Harry had already twice fought the most powerful dark wizard and only had a small scar to show for it. After Ron's series of jokes she seemed more amicable.

**15 th February 1994**

"I've worked it out." Hermione announced, huge smile on her face as she sat between Ron and Harry.

"What?" Harry asked, wondering where Hermione had been all morning. She had missed their first lessons.

"What we need to do to try to reduce the Prejudice on both sides. Obviously Muggle Studies is there to teach everyone about the background of mudbloods," Ron winced, but they ignored it, "but it's taught by a witch who doesn't seem to understand anything about muggles. We should get someone who actively lives in their world to take it instead and it could be more useful. Culture and politics could be taught rather than what we guess this appliance does, or it could be taught separately. And it shouldn't be a third year elective, but a first year class.

" _And_ we should introduce a Wizard Studies. In it teach all the things we've been looking at, wizarding culture, why many pureblood resent muggle raised and make it so every child has to see the other side. I mean I'm considered a bookworm but I never even thought to look properly into why 'mudblood' was part of our culture until you told me a bit about it and frankly I find that I don't hate them as much as before for their beliefs. Understanding the other side is the first step to peace." Hermione beamed at them. "Now we just have to make it happen."

**24 th March 1994**

Harry wasn't paying anyone much mind as he meandered down to the stadium for the game. That was until a Dementor appeared before him. He had kept his word about keeping his wand on him and fired off a patronus before he put much thought into it. There was no chill on the air. No mind numbing sadness.

"You were supposed to faint or something." The Dementor grumbled. "Not send a ball of light at me."

Harry glanced at the stag, still cantering around, before returning to walking, ignoring the individual dressed as a Dementor.

"You're a filthy half blood and not fit to go to this school, never mind still be alive."

Harry ignored the remark, finally placing the voice as that of Draco Malfoy.

"I don't think your parents could be proud of you." It looked like Malfoy was going to follow him. "Neither wanted fame, Potters are known for their lack of a public presence, and that disgrace that was briefly your mother didn't even get an obituary."

Harry knew that was a lie. He had read the Prophet that had been released in the wake of his parent's death. It was centred on wonder of him surviving the killing curse, celebrating that Voldemort was gone but it still had a page spread for each of his parents, right in the middle, detailing a bit about each of their pasts and lives.

Draco followed him the whole way to the changing rooms, muttering and shouting all manner of lies and mean observations. By the time they had neared Harry's destination Draco had descended into simply attacking Harry's inability as a wizard, another thing he knew was not the truth, but had disappeared before they would be in earshot of anyone.

It was the beginning of weeks in which Malfoy attacked him, when nobody was around, with words that Harry ignored. Sometimes he would wear ridiculous costumes, but mostly it seemed to be spur of the moment.

**30 th April 1994**

Harry joined Dumbledore in his office. He felt worried, he had announced his intentions to stay with the Weasleys over the summer break to McGonagall, as he had been unwilling to go to Dumbledore directly. However the next morning he received, with his breakfast, a summons to his office.

"Now Harry, I don't want you to worry that I'm singling you out. It's just that you, Harry, are unfortunately famous and I wanted to ensure that you will have somewhere to go over the holidays that will give you the respect you want and access to a decent library."

Not what Harry was expecting, though he couldn't deny that piqued his interest. Dumbledore continued before Harry could open his mouth to say anything.

"I have spoken to Minerva and she would be willing to put you up for the holidays. She has a small private library which focuses on transfiguration, but has several historical political books which I've noticed you seem to prefer?"

Harry had to recheck his annoyance and shove it behind a mental shield before it turned into rage. If he hadn't heard other Harry's complaints of how closely Dumbledore watched them he would surely have lost his temper with that level of scrutiny. His reading habits did not need monitoring. Funnily enough it was Flame that had the biggest issue. Perhaps because Flame actually liked Dumbledore despite it and would listen to him; even if it was only for a while.

"Also she lives in Hogsmeade which would give you access to the Hogwarts Library should you wish it."

Harry smiled, hoping to reinforce his scholarly quitting of the quidditch team, it wasn't hard to make it genuine. He had respect for McGonagall, it gave him an excuse to not sponge off of the Weasley's and free access to Hogwarts. "The books she has? Are they available in the school Library?"

"I don't believe so. She is also willing to teach you to be an animagus?" Dumbledore smiled at Harry, it seemed genuine enough.

"Thank you, sir. Should I go tell McGonagall?" Harry tried to bubble with excitement, not sure he pulled it off. "Or would that seem forward?"

"Go ahead, Harry." Dumbledore chuckled as Harry left, forcing a spring in his step to match the excitement he was trying to display. Hopefully Dumbledore would watch him less now. Or at least without overt suspicion.

He was aware that would mean Dumbledore knew where he was, most of the time, but he could easily sneak away if he was with only McGonagall instead of the entire Weasley family, or even say he's going to Hogwarts or shopping in Hogsmeade and instead apparate to Sirius. And it wasn't like the Weasleys didn't follow Dumbledore and would report on Harry's movements too.

**1 st June 1994**

Harry wished farewell to everyone. They seemed to think he was getting picked up by Aurors to take him home, he played along with it. Sirius was still free and while Dumbledore had managed to get the Dementors removed from Hogwarts, Harry was still the suspected target. Colin, Hermione and Ron knew the truth, and they understood why he didn't want anyone else to know.

Once the students left for the trains Harry went to grab his things. McGonagall had told him she would pick him up from Gryffindor common room at ten. It gave him an hour to himself before he had to work out how much freedom she would allow. He doubted running away from McGonagall would paint him in a good light with Dumbledore.

When they arrived at her house he was given a small tour, starting with the upstairs. She showed him the spare room, which he would be staying in, and after he dumped his things and let Hedwig out he was led to the shared bathroom, which was barely two meters across. Her bedroom door was pointed out and she told him he was not to enter without express permission.

Downstairs she showed him the modest living room, which had every wall covered in bookcases which were filled with books that Harry had never seen, never mind read. Then was the dining room, of all the rooms this was the biggest and only one not decorated with Tartan as part of the theme. Finally she showed him the kitchen, which was smaller than the Dursley's one.

Harry spent the morning acquainting himself with her ordering system for the books. It seemed to be vaguely by year of publish, though sometimes he'd find one published long before or after its surrounding books. When he finally gave up and asked she told him it was when she read the book, as she remembered when she first read a piece of information better than who wrote it or which book it was in.

Which basically meant that to anyone else there was no system. Harry then took down one of the ones closest the door, on the right, where the earliest dated ones were. Many were clearly old school textbooks, the one he picked turned out to be Potions.

He found himself giggling at the little bits McGonagall had written in herself. Observations about the professors' biased treatment of Slytherin and Gryffindor students, as well as notes about things the teacher had said about the potions themselves. A few of the tales were oddly reminiscent of things that had occurred to him or Neville. Especially the bits where her teacher had expected Gryffindors to read ahead, but never checked if anyone from Slytherin had done so. Harry was certain he could deface his potions book in a similar manner if Snape wasn't so against anyone taking notes in his class.

Around noon McGonagall left and returned a few minutes later with some sandwiches on a platter. After they had finished their lunch she asked him about his preference in food. She had never paid much attention to students eating habits and was greatly relieved when Harry proved to not be fussy. Years of near starvation did that to a person. Though she promised to get him a treacle tart if he behaved. In a way that made Harry think she expected him to turn into the twins now that he wasn't in school.

In the afternoon she agreed to let him go into Hogsmeade on his own, but first placed spells on him to make him unrecognisable. He stared at himself for a few minutes in the mirror. His hair now blonde, but still unruly, scar hidden, even when he raised his hair. His nose was smaller, and pointed out more. His chin was softer, a simple curve at the base of his face. His cheeks were fuller. It made him look a few years younger than he was.

But it was his eyes that had captivated him. She had done something to the shape of them, though he wasn't sure what, and the colour of purple his eyes were, though unnatural, constantly drawing his focus. She explained that Flich had been told to let in any child with purple eyes so that Harry could enter Hogwarts and no one know it was him.

He spent some time finding robes, other than his school ones he owned no Wizarding clothes and if he was going to be staying in a wizarding home he probably should have some. Plus that was the excuse he'd given to be allowed out. Once he was satisfied that he had enough to seem like he'd spent an afternoon shopping he apparated to Sirius.

"Who the hell are you?" Sirius demanded as he pointed his wand at Harry. He couldn't help but notice some of Flames' form in there.

"Gryffin, Padfoot." Harry sighed. "McGonagall gave me a disguise."

"Prove it!"

"I see you are as illogical as ever. Who else even knows that name, Lupin?"

Sirius bristled for a moment then relaxed. "Saw an Auror sniffing around yesterday. He looked right at me."

"Do you not trust my wards?"

"He looked right at me, as though he could see me."

"One of the muggles must have phoned in that they saw a black stray. If they had of seen you, they would have taken you in then."

"Yeah… Yeah… That's true. So how's refuge?'

**17 th July 1994**

_“I found one.” Riddle announced. “A Hufflepuff that has survived.”_

_Everyone turned to face the beds where the newcomers came in. Curiosity and interest on everyone's face. The bed was plain Hogwarts one with yellow sheets and curtains._

_The new Harry was waking, and then he was standing upright on the bed with his wand drawn and eyes flicking between them. Harry had a moment to size up him. He was as tall as Riddle, he wore glasses, and looked healthy though had visible scars. His defensive poise was alien to Harry. His wand held loosely but firm, at forty-five degrees from his arm which was pointed towards the middle of the group, his spare hand behind him and his body at an angle that reduced the target for most of the group. His entire being seemed to be tensed into position and ready to move in the same moment._

_“Welcome,” Riddle began._

_“Where the blazes have you brought me?” The new Harry exclaimed. Arm and wand moving towards Riddle slowly._

_“We call this place Refuge,” Riddle explained._

_“I'm not going to fall for this trick_ Riddle _. You could at least_ try _pretending to be someone else to get information.” The new Harry fired off a silent red spell, Riddle snapped to a straight board before falling to the floor. Harry had a moment to wonder why Riddle hadn't gotten out of the way, there had been enough time, before others moved._

_John apparated behind the new Harry, who was in the process of getting out of the way of Slyther's spell. Leaving John retching up slugs while Slyther began the counter curse. Snape brought up a shield and watched, as did Ryff, Claw caught the new Harry's attention by firing spells wide and trying to keep him to the back of the room. Raven directed the others out while deflecting spells. Harry grabbed Riddle before following the others out into the duelling arena._

_“We now know why he survived. But how did he get into Hufflepuff?” Flame commented. “And how did he know Riddle?”_

_“I don't think he did,” Raven hypothesised, “Rather, I think he thought he was speaking to his Voldemort, after all he hates his muggle name.”_

_“Rennervate.” Harry called, finally remembering the counter to stupefy. Riddle blinked before sitting up. “Did you have any idea that he was going to do that?”_

_“I was hoping that the link we have been discussing would lead to him realising that his Voldemort has nothing to do with this. I didn't want to put anyone on edge and cause him to react to defensive behaviour. Whoever didn't draw a wand should be the ones who try and talk him round.”_

_“Why is he so aggressive?”_

_“That is something you should ask him.”_

_Harry smiled faintly, Riddle was right. “Flame, let's go and see how Claw is doing.”_

_“Alright, Gryffin.” Flame huffed. Harry couldn't help but marvel that the only two that hadn't gone for their wands were the two that had been told off for their tempers, though everyone agreed that Flame's was far greater._

_They walked together, in silence. They saw Claw first, still firing spells deliberately wide while keeping his shield up and creating hard blocks from thin air using Refuge's magic when his shield wasn't enough. It was impressive, as was the new Harry. None of his spells got through, though neither did they miss. When Claw dodged the spells seemed to be going where he now was even though they had been fired before any visible movement._

_When Claw saw them he gave them a terrible grin before finally aiming to hit. The new harry dodged, however Claw didn't let it lie and kept going until he hit the new Harry with an expelliarmus, then Accio'd his wand. Claw nodded at Flame and Harry before leaving past them. They prevented the new Harry following Claw._

_“Shite!” The new Harry screamed. “I'm not telling you anything.”_

_Harry frowned, Flames took the silence. “We're not asking you to tell us anything.”_

_“I'm not drinking or eating anything.”_

_“That's fine. Best not to eat or drink here. It's not really real.”_

_“Good.” The new Harry landed heavily on a chair. “Doesn't mean I trust you.”_

_“I'll just go tell the others you're calm now.” Harry said, the new Harry shot him a venomous look, which he was surprised to see twisting his face. He wondered if he had ever looked at anyone like that. Draco Malfoy, Snape, and Lockhart definitely, Lucius Malfoy probably._

_When he entered the duelling arena looked like everyone was waiting for him. They were all facing the door to some degree. Most of them gave him a nod or watched him, Riddle gave him a half smile._

_“I take it he is not as hostile?” Riddle checked_

_“Not aggressive, still defensive though.”_

_Riddle walked out, cloak billowing behind him in a way that Harry was sure had taken practise and a touch of magic. Harry fell to the back of the pack, beside John. Once they were back in the meeting room Riddle continued his introduction to Refuge, as though nothing had happened. Then gave an overview of each of them. The new Harry sighed deeply before beginning._

_“Call me Potter. I was raised by father, until the LeStranges found their way in during my second year at Hogwarts. Then Dumbledore moved me to the Dursley's.” a few Harry's made sympathy noises, Harry himself gasped. “They aren't bad so long as I kept to myself. While Sirius went to Azkaban for betraying us.” Harry frowned, that couldn't be right, as Sirius seemed to be unquestionably loyal, as both Hadrian and Flame had it despite being opposing sides. “Thankfully Mrs Longbottom takes me to visit my father every week during holidays, often with Neville._

_“When I entered Hogwarts I was sorted into Hufflepuff, much to everyone's surprise. While Neville, one of the few I met before Hogwarts, got sorted into Gryffindor despite believing he belonged in Hufflepuff. We always joked about how we got the other's house. I kept in contact with Neville and the Weasleys, but I didn't restrict myself to them. I spent most of my time trying to not make enemies, and being a shoulder for people to cry on or someone to vent their problems to._

_“As everyone knows I am often turned to for my advice and kind ear, regardless of past or house. Never have I given a secret away. Some people think that constitutes loyalty, and given my house they think I'm in their corner. Blind loyalty is not worth anything. Loyalty should be earned, not freely given. Blind loyalty only gets you hurt”_

_“By father, who do you mean?” Raven asked._

_“James Potter, who else?”_

_“What's he like?” Flame exclaimed, he had a sort of hero worship for his dad born of Sirius's love for him._

_“Quite mad, thanks to Bellatrix.” Potter waved a hand in Harry's direction, encompassing Slyther and John in the gesture. “Thanks for asking.”_

_“I mean before that?”_

_“He was, as Remus put it, completely broken. People he completely trusted betrayed us. With Mother's death he blamed me; it was only recently I discovered he was, at least partially, right. He was far from a loving father, however that didn't mean he was a bad father and I love him. The Dursleys aren't bad to me but I am always on the outside in a way I never was with him.”_

_“How did he survive?” Harry asked, deciding that was more pressing than how Sirius had betrayed them._

_“He wasn't there. Maybe mum would have survived if he was.”_

_“Why wasn't he there?”_

_“I've told you lot before,” Potter yelled, wand pointed at Harry's heart and glowering. “I'm not telling you who your leak was.”_

_“What about_ your _Voldemort?” Riddle asked, ignoring the aggression Potter had displayed. “Do you know where he is?”_

_“You should know.” Potter spat, wand once more pointed at Riddle, Harry felt grateful and worried at the same time. Ready to shove Riddle out of the way even if it meant he got hit. ‘Stupid Gryffindor bravery' Harry cursed himself internally. Which was sort of nice as usually he reprimanded himself for being a shoddy Gryffindor._

_“I don't know, I'm not him, the others are not death eaters.”_

_“Right.” Potter rolled his eyes then began to interrogate everyone about more details for their worlds, he took far more interest in the tales about those people who are death eaters. Harry couldn't help but wonder if the loving way that Riddle and Slyther talked about Voldemort and various death eaters wasn't helping with the whole we-aren't-Voldemort-and-his-Death-Eaters. He also pondered why Potter seemed completely uninterested in Snape and Pettigrew, Harry found that bizarre._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a Hufflepuff Harry; and before you judge him for his reactions remember there is a reason he is like that....


	5. A little bit

**20 th July 1994**

It took Harry a few days to get Lupin to visit Sirius at the same time as he could. Harry was less than surprised at the state of his ex-teacher. Losing his job and being chased out of any wizarding society by angry parents would cause the sleepless eyes, red and bagged, the dishevelled clothing that looked like it had been worn in sleep as well as waking for weeks. And his bedraggled hair that could almost match the infamous Potter nest of hair.

When Harry offered him to stay in the tent with Sirius, Lupin waved him off. Stating that he was staying with trusted friends. That caused an argument where Sirius offered his boyhood home before he switched to demanding Lupin stayed there, lest he get more seeped in dirt. Harry had to interrupt them to tell them why he'd wanted them both there. If it took too long McGonagall might go to Hogwarts to fetch him for dinner before he actually arrived at Hogwarts.

"My father." He watched them exchange apprehensive looks. "If he survived, and mum didn't, what do you think it would be like for me?"

Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but was silenced by a look from Lupin. Lupin then spoke with a carefully even tone.

"Your father loved you and your mother, he would do anything for the two of you."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Lupin nodded then sighed. "I fear you ask us something you already know the answer to. An answer that would surprise us, maybe even shock us?"

Harry left the question hanging as Sirius gaped at Lupin. Nodding when Sirius seemed to have composed himself. "He blamed me. I was a baby, he left that night for some reason, mum died, and he blamed me."

"You understand they hid because Dumbledore saw a threat on your life? Not theirs."

"I never knew."

Lupin sighed, with a sorrow Harry couldn't manage, he doubted many could sound that broken. "They loved you. They hid to protect you. They would have loved you as they died protecting you. Grief is a funny thing Harry. You never know how it will take someone." Sirius nodded his agreement. "If one of these other versions suffered at his hand then he must have lost part of himself when Lily died. I see no other reason he blamed an innocent."

**31 st July 1994**

_Every other version of him appeared in Refuge for their birthday. It was the first time that Hadrian and Potter where in the same room for an extended period of time. Potter had mostly avoided people after arriving, though sometimes would be amicable to a chat when he ventured out of his room to acquire new reading materials. He refused to share anything outside of what was publicly known in his world and never arrived for the weekly meeting or for any classes._

_It didn't take long for Potter to engage Tom in an argument. From what Harry overheard from their continuous, roving, disagreements it was never anything substantial. Mostly it was about things like what colour was best (Tom liked Black, Potter was arguing for anything brighter) or the quickest way to clean a room or the best dish (treacle tart,_ obviously _). It was weird to watch a version of Voldemort discuss such mundane things, to realise how human he was._

_Hadrian kept trying to stop them arguing, however he was having limited success. Partially because Flame was trying to encourage them, clearly he was going for subtle but missing the mark. While Flame mostly stuck to their don't judge rule Potter still seemed to believe this realm was made by Voldemort, technically accurate, to get information, also technically accurate._

_None of the other Harry's seemed to have any idea what it could be that Potter knew. Potter had acted surprised by being a horcrux, and after researching it appeared annoyed for the rest of the week, cursing anyone who he saw. Harry had been on the receiving end of a non-stop bleeding hex and had managed to knock on Ravens door, because it was the closest room at that time, before he collapsed. Neither wanted to discuss what would have happened if Raven hadn't been there, Harry chose not to think about it at all._

_Every other thing that they could think of got a disinterested reaction. From Snape being a double agent to Voldemort's goal to unify wizards so that he could move against the muggles._

_Claw and Ryff were discussing parts of their mother's diary, courtsey of Potter. They dragged Raven, Flame or Snape in whenever they couldn't agree on a passage, depending on who or what she was writing about._

_Raven seemed attached to Slyther, asking questions about various Death Eaters preferences for dark curses and duelling methods. John was going around talking about things and making jokes judging from the bouts of one sided laughed. Riddle was also going around everyone and stopping any argument that he came close to, though he mostly tried to stay away from Potter and Tom._

_Harry found himself in the company of Snape. Who was making observations about the group, and drawing Harry's attention to things he hadn't considered to observe. Like the way each of them held themselves and what that said about how likely they were to fight. While Flame and Ryff were relaxed, Potter and John seemed to be always tense, even when laughing. Snape went onto what how they tensed showed about how they fight, John and Ryff when tense tended to raised their hands as though ready to brawl, whereas Riddle and Raven would lower them, towards where their wands were and Potter and Tom would actually touch or even draw their wands. Snape noted he had never seen Potter without his hand near it, as though he was constantly awaiting a fight._

_He also commented on how some incarnations would hold their wand in battle like a shield, dagger, sword or an extension of their hand; though he refused to say who was which, instead leaving Harry to work it out himself. Snape was grateful that none of them seemed to hold it as though they didn't know what it was, and Harry had to agree. Snape then began to move onto various curses and their counters which are effective while drawing a wand, and Harry found himself diverting the subject as it started going out of his depth. He hadn't even heard of most of the spells Snape was citing._

_They discussed Severus Snape, and how Harry might stop him from hating him on principle. He didn't think they could be friends after all the arguments, but he didn't want potions to remain the hell were the smallest mistake led to a complete fail. It was difficult to tell Snape exactly what he had done to get his namesake so completely hateful, there were far too many instances to share them all, but he tried to pick important ones regardless of how immature or idiotic it made him look._

_The suggestions that Snape provided where all long term, but Harry didn't argue for shorter. Some things take time, and he was willing to wait a year or so, but if it was still in progress during his O.W.Ls year he would undoubtedly fail. Many of them were obvious things like always use sir but don't overuse it or stress it, or learn the potion before class so you don't need to reference your book, and can potentially add flair to the potion. However there were odd ones, like leaving a vial of a rare potions' ingredient when entering or leaving for a few weeks, then leave off for a month or so and repeat, but make an effort to ensure Snape doesn't see it happening, and refuse any knowledge of where it came from._

_While they talked he considered he should think ask Riddle about stopping the animosity between himself and Malfoy, while he was turning over a neutral leaf. The other Harry's had shown that Harry could be friendly across the board. Claw was even able to hold a conversation with Ron and Malfoy at the same time without it becoming a fight, admittedly only for a few minutes and strictly about homework. While Harry couldn't see that ever happening in his world he could at least reduce his enemies. He had a Dark Lord out to kill him as it was, no need to add to the number of people against him._

_While the other Harry's had challenged him to improve his intellect and duelling ability, Snape was now showing that he could be socially suave in a way he had never considered. Was there anything Snape didn't know about? Being able to tell things about a person before they acted, to read their mood and direct the conversation to keep everyone civil or get the information that was needed. Most importantly how to read between the lines. He suggested to Snape that he could teach a class on reading these cues, Snape merely nodded. Then spoke;_

_"I think Riddle wants your attention."_

_Harry looked up and Riddle was focused on him, he indicated the door with a nod and left. "I'll see you, Snape."_

_"Meet me next Friday about your Proffessor Snape situation, it will be easier to get you to the neutrality you seek if I take an active role guiding you."_

_"Thanks." Harry bade before he walked towards Riddles study, he knocked once._

_"Enter."_

_Harry did, and while opening the door used the greeting of the day. "Happy birthday."_

_"Quite. Happy birthday to you too."_

_"What did your father get you?"_

_"Nothing actually." Riddle smiled, and motioned to the chair for Harry to sit. "He promised me a chance to prove my worth to the world but has refused to give me details. Everyone else gave me things of little consequence. Though Draco did put a little thought into it, finding a tome on light duelling magic as he has caught me practising a less dark-art centric style which I aim to impress father with, should I be able to perfect it. Unfortunately someone here had already read it and I finished it a few days ago. What did you get?"_

_"Sirius got me a Firebolt, though I'm not sure how as he is a wanted criminal."_

_"Gringotts is run by Goblins who don't care about wizarding squabbles. Unless he did something that offends them he will always get access. Polyjuice into and out of the building would be enough. Then simply owl post it to you so it can't be tracked to him even if it is waylaid by anyone."_

_Harry nodded before continuing. "Hermione got me a book on Herbology, 'Unique plants of Scotland'."_

_"That is a useful book."_

_Harry smiled. "But short, over in an hour." Riddle nodded at that. "Colin gave me a scrapbook of photos he'd taken. Thankfully it wasn't Harry centric, in fact there wasn't a single one of me, it's mostly scenery. Through you can see others in the background especially in the ones from the common room windows."_

_"I will have to look out for that one." Riddle promised._

_"The Weasleys gave me various bits and pieces, mostly homemade food. Ron gave me his childhood stories so I can pick up on some wizard culture, or at least that was his excuse. Neville, Dean and Seamus sent me cake, matches and candles respectively. They must have gotten together for that."_

_"It is an interesting gesture."_

_"I mentioned last term that I'd never had a birthday cake other than one from Hagrid. Luckily though it did look awful it didn't taste bad but Hagrid's cooking has a reputation."_

_"I am aware."_

_"Draco." Harry said abruptly, something about Riddle's condescending tone reminded him of Draco causing him to remember his new mission._

_Riddle raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for more before reacting._

_"I want to stop, erm, fighting," Harry wasn't sure what their relationship was but he had had enough of Malfoy's' random let's call Harry everything then attack everyone he cares about, "with him, I was hoping you could give me some ideas to try?"_

_Riddle smirked. "Perhaps. But since you've left it so long I doubt it will be as simple as apologising_ or _being nice. He is proud, unlikely to be easily swayed and will probably be cautious of your intentions."_


	6. Changes Refuge Makes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long wait; Sorry
> 
> this was due to many factors, one being the length of this one.... It's too long but i don't want to split it up.
> 
> the main being me distracted by life and internet issues.

**7 th August 1994**

_"Today I thought we could share a time when we questioned our beliefs, and if you wish, how and the final outcome." Riddle annouced once they were all there. "My memory comes from the time Dumbledore kidnapped me. I was five and a few weeks at the time. Already fully aware of what my father stood for even if I didn't understand it all, or any of the reasons. He was strict about the oddest things, and more forgiving about others which at the time baffled Draco and me. He had not yet gotten full power, but was enough on his way that he could walk down Diagon Alley with me and not worry that I'd be taken or attacked. However Dumbledore still held his credibility._

_"One night father was having one of his meetings, it was late and I should have been in bed. I chose to take a midnight stroll. Something I knew he would never forgive me for. I thought was reasonable in our extensive grounds and had done several times that month without getting caught. I ended up walking into Dumbledore. He offered me sweets, which he was also eating. I was careful not to take one that looked any different to the ones he was having. Sweets were a rarity, but I knew that they could be drugged. It appears that he had taken some sort of antidote in advance. He was otherwise kind._

_"I woke up in the burrow, with Molly Weasley tending to me. She told me that Dumbledore had left me with them after he had found me passed out on a park bench. I didn't correct her and immediately started trying to work out how to get home. Thinking of father's temper when things do not go his way and that the Weasleys did not agree with him and still spoke out against him at times. Unfortunately whatever Dumbledore had given to me left me weakened even after I woke. Barely able to walk for five minutes without collapsing or needing aid. It was enough for me to be mobile inside their house without me being able to get anywhere outside. I never worked out where they kept the floo powder._

_"While I was stuck they allowed me freedoms that I'd never experienced and showed me things in life I had barely come across. Games, dessert with every dinner, fantasy books, entire days to do nothing but relax and children that did not treat me as son of the Dark Lord. For the first time children would argue with me for no discernible reason, and when asked why would give me answers that made little sense if they provided anything._

_"It was the only time I_ continually _questioned my father, and not for his black deeds, or iron fist, but rather for the_ type _of parent he was. Molly and Arthur's love was something so different and bottomless. The fact that they could discipline their children without curses and would allow their children to play completely unsupervised made me wonder if I was son of the Dark Lord, or simply a trophy he wished to show his victory against some of his most outspoken enemies. It made me wonder why our parents opposed him, which I hadn't thought about before._

_"It was a while after I was well enough to join in the more active games that father found out where I was. By that point I had settled. I sometimes wonder if Dumbledore had been drugging me even at theirs until that was the case. I doubt the Weasley's would have done so; they appeared to genuinely think it was something father had done. And from what others here have said, they are unfailingly kind if Harry Potter is welcoming to their affections, and I was._

_"Regardless, when we were playing quidditch the quaffle went wide, I went after it and found it in father's hand. He looked at me, expressionlessly, and asked if I wanted to stay here or return with him. I told him I wanted time to think. He said very well, passed me the quaffle and in farewell said he would be there every day until I told him which I wanted before disapparating._

_"The next day I decided I wanted to read, but Molly kicked me out without the book I'd picked but with her children and I realised that the reason they were left unsupervised was so that she could do the household chores. Some of the younger Weasley's teased me about the fact that I would rather read or help with the chores then play quidditch. In that teasing I made my decision. So_ what _if I wanted to read rather than play? Or even preferred help around the house? Without a word to them I ran to father and begged him to take me home away from these heathens."_

_"Have you seen what happens to you if you stay with them?" Harry asked, before putting much thought into it._

_"No, either I am dead, or I haven't found a world where the conditions were right yet. To stay I would have been actively choosing naivety over knowledge, and I think the fact that_ everyone _I've invited here returned has shown that regardless of background we value knowledge to some degree."_

 _"But you were_ happy _with them, why return to where you would be_ tortured _and asked to_ kill _?" Flame asked, in clear disbelief._

_"It is one thing to be given only what you need now, another thing to be given what you will need, and another thing entirely to be given what you want."_

_Flame frowned, probably trying to work out what Riddle meant. Harry was sure Riddle was being mean in a more subtle way then Flame's constant calling into question decisions he disagreed with. It was clearly a non-answer that Riddle had provided._

_"And you think Voldemort gave you what?" Raven asked, spotting it too most likely. Riddle sighed quietly before answering._

_"What I needed on a basic level, what would allow me to thrive in the future, and he wanted my opinion so he could give me what I wanted where apt. Letting me chose things in my life, like how much time I spent with Draco or what dessert to have._

_"I had been taken and placed with the Weasley's without any say. He was the first person to ask what I wanted rather than tell me what was best for me or otherwise change my situation without my input._

_"I have no illusions that he couldn't force me home and wipe that period from my memory, but he didn't. He showed that he cared about me, that I was his son and not the prisoner that the Weasley's seemed to think I was. It was not long after that he started calling me his dark prince, it was as an endearment earned from me choosing him that the death eaters picked up as a title._

_"I think that was when I forgave him and opened my heart to him. Before I had done what was_ necessary _to avoid punishment, after I tried to get his approval while he continued to try making it up to me for killing my parents."_

_The room was quiet for a while before Riddle nodded to Raven at his side, to indicate he should tell his story._

_"I was ten, I began reading a book I had been sent from an unknown source. It had me fascinated, and thinking about the possibilities. Gran found it, and she burned the book in front of me, telling me it was evil."_

_"What was it?" Claw asked, receiving a glare for his question from Raven._

_"It had no title, bound in unblemished brown leather and was hand written, in blood I think. It was about blood arts, and as much as I read can be found in the shelves. Before that point I thought knowledge was its own goal, I had never considered that some things should not be known. It took Neville a month to get me back into reading everything I could get my hands on."_

_Harry once more lost respect for Raven, his worst memory hiding while adults fought was bad enough on its own, but now adding his biggest crisis of faith was over one book being off limits and had lasted a whole month with someone who was a true brother pestering him to get over it._

_Harry had to remind himself not to judge. Wasn't Riddle choosing Voldemort over an accepting family worse? But somehow that made more sense, Harry could see himself making that choice. Maybe it was just that he understood Riddle having spent the most time with him; maybe his desperation for family was clouding his judgement._

_"I've already told this story to most of you, but it feels fitting." Flame began when no one asked Raven anything else. "When Sirius got injured and I had to take him to St. Mungo's, and no one knew if he would recover. I questioned what would happen to me if I lost him. I felt him a constant and living without him around had never even crossed my mind. I realised how mortal everyone is, which sucks, and everything felt so pointless. I mean a few generations from now none of what we have done has any real significance, how many of us know why Grindelwald was bad? Or even anything that he did? Thankfully Remus got me out of that funk, and Sirius has kept it that way."_

_There was silence, it dragged on as everyone turned to Snape who was next. Who was still clearly choosing what to share, eyes unfocused._

_"I had always believed the reason I performed better than my peers was due to my magical element. The wizarding world in general did not shock me. What did was the fact so many appeared to have arrived at Hogwarts without even reading one word of their books, and that so many raised in that world were completely clueless even about fundamental things that should be learnt while living in a magical property regardless of if they interacted with the world outside of it. It also shocked me how little learning was required for many classes. For the first time I saw my differences had nothing to do with magic."_

_Snape looked around the circle, awaiting questions before watching Hadrian, who grinned while sharing a look with Tom before he began._

_"When I imperio'd the Dursleys. Not_ one _Auror came to check why three unforgivables where cast, but years later one barmy elf casting a floating charm had a few of us facing possible expulsion. I thought magical law enforcers were completely useless, clearly I was wrong, but I wonder why an unforgivable was ignored when a minor spell was not. Leaves you questioning the wizarding enforcement doesn't it? Also, isn't elf magic supposedly different? They can apparate in Hogwarts. Someone wanted to discredit us and it had to be Dumbledore, because who else was in the position to threaten that? I thought he cared about a few of us at least."_

_"Shortly after I found Hadrian." Tom told them in the completive silence. Some of the Harry's nodded in understanding, Harry was amongst them. Tom had gone from trying to kill Hadrian to being reliant on him for his own sanity._

_"The first time dad almost killed me." Potter started, and waited for the surprised gasps from everyone and more specific noises of horror from Flame to cease before continuing. "I was five, no six, four? Doesn't matter does it? I was home alone and dad was visiting Siri. He came home a few minutes before eight. I had been thinking about going to bed because I know if he's not back by eight then it's a Marauders event and they will be drinking, heavily, probably since they met at noon._

_"Dad was never nice to me drunk, going from the accusations of killing mum to wishing I had died too so he could move on without having to feel guilty because of my presence continually reminding him what he lost, of that he wasn't there to defend her. This time was different. He advanced on me wordlessly, wand drawn, but with unfocused eyes that told me he had been drinking. I darted past and grabbed floo power which I chucked on the fire while he hexed me. I have no idea what he cast to this day, was only aware of incredible pain, flowing blood, and that I needed to get away._

_"We were living under a fideluis charm and I was aware that there were people out there that wanted my death and one of them had gotten to me while at a check-up when I was two in St. Mungo's, so St. Mungo's was out. I knew that everyone I knew well would probably be at Siri's and had not stopped him. Regardless if they knew what he was about to do they knew he was nasty to me drunk and normally someone would accompany him home. In desperation I whispered Severus Snape before passing out._

_"I woke not long after, the clock read ten past, with Severus casting continuous counter curses under his breath. Once he was satisfied that I was okay he demanded to know who would do such a thing to a defenceless child and why I had fallen out of_ his _fireplace. I told him it didn't matter who had done it, and that I had come to him because I knew he was mum's closest friend once and that he is versed in many magics._

_"I told him why I didn't turn to St. Mungo's. Of course he asked why I didn't turn to father, I told him enough of the truth to stop him asking anything more. That my father was snookered, mourning mum and somewhat useless to me in that state. He offered to let me stay the night without further hesitation. I accepted and was surprised in the morning with a fully cooked breakfast and pleasant conversation before I returned home."_

_"Your dad made it up to you the next morning?" Riddle asked._

_"Over the next week my every request was filled, and he didn't drink for several months, though I know Siri and Remus did in his presence."_

_Unfortunately Flame got over his bout of shock, and yelled. "Father was a good man and Snape has_ never _been anything but a_ complete _pillock." Before storming out._

_"Sorry." Echoed around the room by the various Harrys' in Flames stead. Harry wasn't sure if he should apologise for Flame, but he did anyway._

_"I will try and calm him down." Raven offered, and when no disagreement was forthcoming he left._

_"A typical Gryffindor hothead, no offence Gryffin, Ryff." Potter said, Harry murmured his agreement while Ryff simply nodded once. "Anyway, I nearly didn't go home. I felt safer with the man that had always been my dad's enemy, and had fought with my mum over something trivial and had resorted to extremely offensive words when he couldn't come up with anything meaningful to say._

_"I never told my dad who had saved my life, but I always wondered why I had gone to Snape. It was mostly panic that had got me there. But from then on, whenever it got really bad, I went to Snape. Eventually he must have realised the cause, but he never brought it up again. Only gave me help, made me welcome and let me go when I wanted to._

_"I think it was the relationship we created, mostly strained as it was, that made me spend most of my early years thinking about loyalty and trust. Probably what got me into Hufflepuff. That and the determination I put into fighting better than everyone I know, though I'm still not there yet, and the kindness that everyone comments on and thinks is a weakness. Someone who is nice shouldn't be discounted as weak or stupid. You only need to look at Cedric and his abilities to see that. Someone who can forgive should not be pitied as weak, it takes someone strong to truly forgive dire mistakes."_

_Harry decided to seek Cedric out after term started to see if he could see him duel, or even duel him. Many of the other Harry's seemed to be thoughtful too. Harry found himself thinking again of how Potter fought, it was unceasing and fluid. He was incredibly good at judging others defences however he was only mildly good at judging offensive tactics. His range of spells was good and his reflexes sharp. He was clearly more used to facing light wizards than dark, though bizarrely was unfazed when facing John and his underhanded tactics. And he was easily the quickest to go from standing still to flinging spells._

_"Once I started Hogwarts I turned to Snape with my issues, and told him if I thought another student to be watched by staff or to have an ear provided by them to listen for whatever reason. Careful not to betray the students trust but_ still _get them help that I felt they needed. I never thought I could trust anyone, least of all an enemy of the family, but he saved my life when he didn't need to, several times and_ never _tried to remove me from the situation which clearly I wanted to be in as I always returned home within a day. If only it wasn't for the drinking it would have been lovely with father."_

_Harry couldn't help but wonder if Potter was over sharing to make up for how he had been behaving. Perhaps it was just how Potter was when he trusted people, or maybe he'd decided to join in with detailed lies._

_"If you are supposedly kind, why have you been so unkind to many here?" Tom pondered aloud._

_Potter smiled. "Because until you arrived I believed that Voldemort," he pointed at Riddle, "had created this place to learn of the prophecy. Or more likely Dumbledore had created it to discover what I had passed onto Voldemort along with anything else that might help him work out who's my contact to him. I_ will _make it up to everyone, or at least try to."_

_"You've heard the prophecy in full?"_

_"Trust me, the only ones who will not be upset by it are Riddle, Flame and Raven. Whereas Gryffin, Ryff and Snape would be forced to act. And you, Hadrian and Slyther would be emotionally in tatters. John and Claw I'm unsure of, though they too would likely be forced to act."_

_"If it is about us we should_ know _." Riddle told him._

_"I will write it down and leave it on my desk then, any who wishes to read it can. I'll tell Raven and Flame to read it. And I recommend you read it Riddle. I think your father needs to know the contents."_

_Harry didn't want to be forced to act, but at the same time wanted to know what was said and wasn't sure he trusted Potters judgement of him. He decided that he would ask Riddle if he should read it, after Riddle had read it himself. Harry asked if that would be acceptable over Slyther, who asked into it too. When Riddle agreed, John requested he was included as well and Riddle agreed to that as well._

_The rest of the room had descended into small discussion groups while they had discussed that. So Harry asked Riddle, Slyther, and John if they knew anything about the prophecy. Slyther said that his Voldemort had mentioned that it was a partial prophecy that drove him to hunt the Potters and pushed his decision to name Slyther as heir, but had never given him details. And that it was Severus that had overheard it in part, but he too didn't share._

_Riddle wondered aloud why it would be important for him to read it, for father, but not for Slyther who was in similar circumstance or Tom. He also pondered why his father had never mentioned it, he had only been told his father had killed his parents for being opposition and had taken him in in pity, and he had thought that the other Voldemort's had attempted to kill Harry in mercy or to ensure they didn't grow to be more opposition._

_Harry pointed out that Potter had said it was his fault mother had died, whatever Snape had overheard caused Voldemort to track Harry, not his parents. Killing their parents was a side effect, probably one that Voldemort approved of. Taking Riddle in without even trying to kill him showed a weakness, one best hidden. Riddle seemed to agree but silently descended into his own thoughts._

_Slyther voiced surprise that Harry could figure out reasonable motives for Voldemort despite having had only one interaction with him in his own world which had been a fight. Slyther didn't count Tom as his personality had been affected by relying on Hadrian for sanity, as had Hadrian's. John found it odd that Harry defended Voldemort from Riddle while still pondering if he was going to oppose him._

_Slyther initiated a subject change by asking Harry about Sirius. He had been thinking about visiting his godfather in Azkaban. While Harry was discussing the merits of their godfather Flame was led back in by Raven. After a bit of silent prompting Flame briefly apologised for judging. Potter accepted, suggesting Flame should talk to Remus and try to accept what is said by dad's only friend who hadn't betrayed him in Potters world and was always more level headed than Sirius._

_"I don't understand why Sirius would be loyal in many of the worlds but disloyal in yours." Harry stated, it had been bugging him and having discussed it with his Sirius they couldn't think of any probable cause for Sirius to have talked to any of the Lestranges never mind giving up James._

_"I was in Hogwarts at the time. I only read the prophets version. Remus didn't have a chance to talk to him. I asked to visit him, Dumbledore blocked it on the basis that Sirius had gone mad, along with anyone else who I can trust to tell me what Sirius tells them. Apart from Snape but there is_ no _way I'm asking him to go to Azkaban for Sirius' sake."_

_Potter nodded to Ryff, declaring silently that this conversation was over._

_"I'm sure a few of you who ended up with the Dursleys will understand. Entering the wizarding world and discovering the whole boy-who-lived thing. People on mass acting like you're the second coming. Honestly I thought I'd be able to get away from my abusive relatives, that someone would believe me for the first time ever. But they don't, though unlike the Dursleys they make out like I'm happy and they are listening to me. That the worst thing that ever happened was my parents deaths and everything else is a cry for attention from a boy who doesn't understand discipline and love of parental figures._

_"McGonagall told me Dumbledore spoke to Petunia, meanwhile the Dursley's say they found me on the doorstep with a note, even before they stopped the lie of my parents dying in a car crash because James was drunk." He gave a faint smile at Potter. Harry reckoned everyone probably thinking the same thing, that the Dursley's, if they ever met James, had met him smashed as that would explain where that lie came from. "I don't think Dumbledore could have spoken to Petunia for one minute without seeing her inherent hatred for anything remotely magical._

_"I was once again under the care of adults who seemed ill-concerned about me, but wanted the appearance of normalcy. At least the muggle social workers turned up to check my living arrangements rather than trust the word of Vernon. Though he bullshitted that Dudley's second bedroom was mine and that I rarely didn't get what I wanted, the stacks of stuff proved it. The wizarding world doesn't have child services, and doesn't question Dumbledore at all. It's probably why so many of us ended up with them, and only two of us ended up were our parents would want us. Temporarily excluding Potter of course, because dad not dying means that you never went anywhere."_

_"Do you think there is enough magical children at risk to warrant child services?" Claw asked._

_"The fact that there isn't a large number of magical children means that they could all be checked up on with fewer people. And any muggleborn or muggle raised child is_ immediately _at risk. Muggles are scared of what they don't understand, like accidental magic, and some lash out in horrible ways. For instance my teacher recommending me being sent to a school for_ incurably insane _after seeing me apparate, which I think we can all agree is a nonsensical reaction. And Voldemort might have been a bit nicer if he wasn't in a muggle orphanage and muggle schooling. It is probably best that magical children are brought up, at least partially, in the magical world._

_"With our own child services we'd be able to make the necessary checks and have people trained to deal with muggleborn children, and more importantly their home situation and parents. Which will not go unchanged after the discovery of the magical world. Getting to these children when they start doing accidental magic, telling their parents what it is and giving them support before the Hogwarts letter would mean that parents will see our world as forward thinking and supportive, which cannot be a bad thing. And that they could look into more schools than just Hogwarts, though I doubt many would go to schools on mainland Europe instead of Britain but many parents like to know they are giving their children the best they can._

_"It would also mean children in bad situations could be taken out of them, relevant muggles obliviated and records wiped. Commonplace things, like house elves, could be taught to muggleborns. There are so many things in the wizarding world which everyone knows but no one talks about, which should be known. Unlike house elves some of them are extremely dangerous should you be unaware._

_"Imagine a muggle raised learning about boggarts by finding one in their new flat? Flight or fight panic could cause anything and even with a wizard raised friend they may not work out what it is afterwards._

_"Or even before that, they get their wand and the first thing they do is play with it, and oops they've made a wand oath, but as they don't know how important it is quickly forget about it or its wording. What if they should break it? Who would know why they no longer had magic?_

_"There is also wizarding laws, which are different in many cases, relations with other European wizarding communities and ways to act with various sentient magical creatures which muggleborns are expected to somehow know. It's all very well saying they can find their way, but we shouldn't presume that they can or will learn everything from books or their friends. I don't think I can count the number of times someone has been surprised I didn't know something then appended 'oh yeah, you were muggle raised,' or something similar."_

_"You're planning to set that up in your world?" John asked._

_"If I can. If I don't, who will? And my fame may mean free publicity to the idea and potentially more people stepping forwards to help."_

_Harry, along with the other Dursley raised praised the idea, leaving Ryff blushing. Harry began wondering if rather than darker than him Ryff was simply more thoughtful, and wanted to know all the sides to their story._

_Claw was next, interrupting Harry's thoughts. "Much like Raven it was something that I read I want to mention." Claw grinned at Raven who glared briefly at him before watching the ceiling instead. "Ravenclaws and reading challenging their world views." Claw laughed briefly without any humour. "But it's not a book, it is a newspaper, of sorts. It's produced by the father of one of the girls in the year below us, Looney lovegood."_

_"Isn't her name Luna?" Potter asked._

_"It_ is _." Raven provided, returning to glaring slightly at Claw._

_"No one calls her that in my world." Claw told them. "She doesn't mind. She is entertaining company. I consider her a friend."_

_Potter nodded, while Raven refocused on the floor, seemingly trying to eradicate emotion from his face._

_"The Quibbler is an odd mix of real interviews and mad theories. It's a shame it isn't wider read, most of those interviewed are quite barmy, but they print what was said and let you read it through before publishing. Just in case it can be misconstrued. But it got me questioning why those things are considered impossible? Muggles believe magic is impossible even though there are lots of wizards who live in both worlds, who's to say those theories aren't right, or that there is another society of magical beings we don't know about?"_

_"They would have a hard time hiding from us, we know about memory modification and many wizards explore the furthest reaches." Riddle provided._

_"Muggles have video, Wizards don't seem to have a clue about that. They allow muggles to record what is." John argued, before Claw even opened his mouth to reply. "The video can then be sent simultaneously to all muggle households, or most worryingly for us stored for later viewing, copied and then sent out. Somehow we still haven't been caught, I have to agree we can't know for certain."_

_"I don't think it can be truly resolved, unless we prove wrackspurts and such exist." Claw confirmed. "But I find it fun to think about sometimes."_

_The room was quiet, everyone glancing around as though wondering who would speak next. As it turned out it was John._

_"My first winter on the streets. I've told most of you about begging, which was fine during the summer and bearable during autumn. But a sleeping bag and the few blankets I'd managed to acquire weren't enough._

_"Then I experienced my first act of compassion. A man who helped at a local YMCA found me on the street one Morning on his way there. He took me along and got me properly fitted clothes from their donations box, breakfast from their kitchen and gave me a room to sleep in. I wasn't as distrustful as I now am. I knew about YMCA's but had never managed to find one, so I accepted it all in good faith._

_"For the next few weeks he checked up on how I was doing every few days. Making sure the other kids were getting along with me. Some of them mocked me for the preferential treatment I was getting, others befriended me because of it. That should have sent off alarm bells, especially after the Dursleys made it clear I was worse than dirt on their shoes and every other kid at school avoided me._

_"One afternoon I woke in cuffs, in a police car. One of the police officers told me that the man had called them in had also been taken in, by another car, for questioning. Turns out when he saw me he recognised me from a wanted criminal ad on some crime watch show. He was biding his time to drug me seeing as I'd taken out two adults and no one was sure how because as there wasn't any screaming or sign of a struggle. They had somehow worked out victims were dead before the fire started._

_"First chance I got I bolted, helped along by accidental magic. I returned to the YMCA to grab my things, and discovered that the people who had been kind were in on the whole I'm-a-murder thing so anyone who showed me kindness in the future was given hostility. After that I began learning how to hide in the muggle world properly._

_"Who really cares about the law when you can be tried for triple killing? I did, I learnt as much as I could from libraries, for one thing they are warm and few people go there meaning less chance to be recognised. But primarily because if they took me in for a minor crime I might be connected to the one they wanted me for. I discovered that I can't be tried as an adult for the murder as any crime committed before sixteenth birthday is considered crime by a minor. Punishment is different, as is potential jail. But muggles have this weird bracket from sixteen to eighteen where the crime can be tried as minor or major. Not sure how they decide."_

_When John tailed off Potter started asking about who he had killed, which led to how he had ended up on the streets. Harry zoned out while trying to work out what to disclose. He should have thought about it_ before _he was next. But when he thought of the biggest change in his thinking the answer was obvious. Slyther elbowed him out of his musings._

_"Coming here, meeting everyone. Before that I took everything at face value. Snape's hint to Quirrell that he was working out how to get to the stone, therefore he must be after it. Now I know he was trying to trip Quirrell up to report him to Dumbledore. Dumbledore was nice so I trusted him, now I know he put me with the Dursleys against my parents' wishes and probably in full knowledge of their hatred of magic. Voldemort is evil, he killed my parents, but now I want to know why he fights, what he fights for and why people say he's bad. My parents were good, kind people but where they really? No one that didn't love them has ever spoken to me about them. Basically I question everything, but I don't think it's bad to think about everything, to try and have beliefs of your own."_

_"What do you think you would be doing if it weren't for Refuge?" Raven asked. Harry took a moment to consider._

_"I'd be at the Dursleys, hating all the fluffy letters I get that are clearly trying to be soothing or maybe I'd be at the Weasley's worrying about Sirius's continued escape. I would never question why he had escaped after thirteen years, I mean to get around dementors he had to have worked out the first week what to do to avoid the depression and with no human guards he could have gotten out whenever, surely it would have been easier to kill me when I was still young with no defences of my own? And why not break out other death eaters?"_

_"I wouldn't be considering if facing Voldemort is wise." Raven admitted. "He has to die, at least I believe that, but I'm not sure how since the whole horcrux thing gets in the way."_

_"I'm going to write down the prophecy that is about us and Voldemort, you and Flame should read it." Potter provided. "It gives me courage."_

_Harry wondered about the prophecy. It gave Potter courage? It appeared it had something to do with destroying Voldemort, but why would Potter say Riddle's father should know about it but not Tom or Slyther's Voldemort? It made no sense to Harry. And what actions would Harry be forced to take? If it were towards killing Voldemort surely Potter would be all for it; after all he had shown he was opposed to Voldemort from the first moments. But then Potter had made out like he spoke to Voldemort, that Dumbledore saw him as being in active contact and wished it to stop but had to resort to subterfuge to do so._

_"When mother decided to teach me to torture." Slyther interrupted his thoughts, "it is her trademark, she wanted to pass it down. By that point there wasn't a thing in her driving someone mad repertoire that she hadn't used on me. For months I went around asking people if I was sane, but not_ really _believing them seeing as no one would tell mother to her face that she's a bit unhinged, not even father or Voldemort._

_"I questioned if that was why I was on their side, if she had carefully made me mad in a way that made me loyal. It wasn't until she was finished her lessons and I got to try it out on a freshly caught unwilling informant that I discovered you can't use those methods for forcing loyalty like I have and the way mother watched but intervened when I struggled showed her love. Though I still return to those thoughts sometimes."_

_"You know torture, but never thought to offer it as a class?" John asked. "Or even cover it during Dark arts?"_

_"It doesn't help you defend against it, the knowledge itself is not pleasant and without a target some of the tells are hard to explain. Mother used a couple dozen useless captives for demonstrations. I saw little point."_

_John looked put out, Harry shivered at that, and the look of sheer disappointment on Ryff's face. Maybe Ryff was dark, and the whole 'protect muggleborns' had a darker flip side; bringing them into wizarding culture earlier and specifically teaching them about it in a manner that included their parents would likely mean they could be taught to value wizarding culture alongside muggle, like Hermione had been. And as the one in charge of the whole thing he could pick and choose what was important for muggleborns to learn, and what they shouldn't be told about._

_"A lesson on those spells might be good." Riddle informed. "It would mean that we might recognise them and be able to know to dodge or use the correct shield, if there is one."_

_Harry had said he would take every class, maybe only inside his head but it still mattered to him, so when Slyther got up to check the board for an available time slot Harry's heart sank. Could he_ really _sit through Slyther talking about torture curses? And worse, surrounded by those who might be actively thinking of using them._

_"Has anyone any further questions for anyone?" Riddle asked, the usual wrap up. Murmured no's then Riddle continued. "Anything anyone wants to bring up?"_

_"Yes." Tom said. "The Triwizards tournament is coming to Hogwarts, possibly in all the worlds as the initial idea came from overseas. I don't know the tasks or the rules yet, but it is a chance to show the world how capable you are."_

_After a long discussion explaining the tournament to those, like Harry, who had never heard of it, Riddle declared the meeting over and followed Potter back to his room. Harry went to his office, picked up a copy of 'Forgotten spells: those even pure bloods have lost.' on the way, something Riddle had read when young at his father's insistence. Harry flipped open a small notebook that he had created which stored what page he was on in various books, and began reading._

_It wasn't long until a sharp knock stopped him._

_"Come in." He invited. He smiled when he saw it was Riddle. It was rare that Riddle searched him out and the current reason was obvious. Riddle sat down on a chair that appeared as he lowered, then he was silently watching Harry's fire. "So?"_

_"Why did you ask_ me _, rather than Flame or Raven?"_

_"Flame is about the most distant person to me, I can't understand him and find I dislike him. Raven, I find I have little respect for. I know we aren't meant to judge, but it is a human reaction."_

_"So that's_ it _, I'm the best of a bad bunch?" Riddle then fixed him with one of those looks of such intensity that it made him simultaneously want to run, shrink and freeze._

_"I, yes?" Riddle turned his eyes to the fire, somehow Harry knew he had upset Riddle. It was easy to work out why. Harry took a breath before backtracking. "I think of you as my best friend." Riddle turned to him, the usual cool look replaced by one of scepticism. "No really, when I met Sirius I referred to you as a friend, and somewhere along the way it turned to my best friend. And though you are not of my world, it's true."_

_"Even though I force you to question your beliefs?"_

_"You don't force, you let me see other sides to everything and let me think about it before coming to my own conclusions."_

_"I think that too, you know. You are my closest friend. You challenge my beliefs without realising it, but don't try and force them to align with yours. It's part of what I wanted from this place."_

_"I don't think we're the only ones that have changed after coming to refuge. I mean Snape seems friendlier, he doesn't freak me out as much, and Ryff is less shy, Raven is really thinking about Voldemort even if it is still to face him, John has made friends here, remember what he said at first about them?"_

_Riddle laughed, a proper all-encompassing laugh that Harry had never heard him give. It was infectious and after a while they were both gasping for breath. Harry was grinning at Riddle, to see it reflected on a face so like his own was weird, one he was used to seeing composed at all times. As he thought it Riddle's face snapped to serious and he blurted._

_"Have you decided what to do with your Voldemort?"_

_"I want to talk to him, find out what he stands for myself, only to check it is the same as your father. I plan to seek neutrality because I don't want to be involved in the fight between him and Dumbledore. I don't think I'm ready to stand against either of them, but I hope Voldemort wins as from what has been said he is up-front about what he wants, and he has many points I agree with."_

_"Fair enough. I don't think you should read the prophecy, at least not yet. Have you heard of self-fulfilling prophecies?" Harry shook his head. "Right, let's say I told my version of Ron that there is a prophecy that he will fail all his O.W.L.s regardless of how much he studies. It is rather likely to happen if he believes me on any level because why would he bother to study if that won't help him? And even if he doesn't believe me part of him will question if all the studying is worth it and distract him from taking it in properly. So though the prophecy I gave was false in nature it being heard makes it likely to come true._

_"I think the prophecy is partially self-fulfilling. The part Snape overheard, 'the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches... Born as the seventh month dies' led it to come true when passed on. Voldemort came to kill you and some power of yours vanquished him. To discover the rest, the stuff that requires you to act, would cause it to come true because you know about it. Unless anything changes I don't think it would be wise for you to read it. And I suspect that my Snape never passed it on or overheard it, as I see no way that father let me live after hearing_ that _."_

_"I agree. At least the rest is of us can all take comfort in that Voldemort himself would go after our parents regardless of the prophecy in that case."_

_"I should go discuss with Slyther and John now. I will see you later Gryffin."_

_"Later, Riddle." Harry returned to his book. Riddle liked him back. Harry didn't stop grinning the entire night._


	7. Secrets Shared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Builders... roadworks... no internet for too long...
> 
> Also many thanks to FalconLux for checking this :D

**14th August 1994**

_"Last week we discovered that there is a prophecy about us and Voldemort. Who has read it?" Riddle asked, raising his own hand. Flame, Raven, Tom, Hadrian, Slyther and Snape raised their hands. "Should anyone be unsure about if they should read it you can discuss it with one of us that have read it._

_"I have added a space on the board for those who have read it to write our names down so any new Harry's know who they can turn to to ask about if they should read it. Along with the bit Severus overheard. It is something everyone here is already aware of as it has already occurred, and I think it is good to know why you were hunted. 'The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches... Born as the seventh month dies.'_

_"I would also like to confirm that my Snape never overheard it, therefore did not pass it on. Meaning that Voldemort would have gone after our parents regardless. The the only chance our parents had of survival was Pettigrew feeling guilty about giving, or not doing so in the first place, Voldemort their address and trying to get them out of the house without us, as he almost succeeded to in Potters world._

_"Today I thought we could talk about someone from our world that many of the others don't know. I don't believe many of you have spent much time with Lucius Malfoy?" General agreement met the question, though Slyther disagreed quietly. "He is the one to the one to take me to kings cross every year as father is too busy running the country to bother with it, at least that is his excuse. The first year Sirius showed up, he was never sent to Azkaban in my world; I don't know why. He said that he had spent ten years trying to find to me. Lucius cast some sort of silencing spell on him before telling us to cross the barrier with Narcissa._

_"We waited for about ten minutes before he came through. He wished farewell to Draco and sent him to find us seats, stopping me from following by placing his cane in my path. He then told me who Sirius was and what he was to me. He did believe that Sirius was unaware of the kidnapping attempts from Dumbledore. He warned me to be careful of him should I want contact, as he was an Auror and likely to disagree with many things as his world view is black and white. He then wished me luck for the year and removed his cane from my path._

_"Lucius clearly reported it to father as I received a letter that night asking about my first day; father never sends me owls when we part, even when he vanishes for months on end and doesn't even say goodbye, which left a thin veil to what father wanted to know. My response ignored Sirius instead talked of mundane things, like my sorting. When Christmas arrived we were picked up by Narcissa alone. Once she dropped Draco off she told me that Lucius had been having a weekly dinner meeting with Sirius Black, and that I could join them should I want. I decided to go, assuring myself that he can't be that bad if they met every week._

_"The meal was amicable. I heard tales of my parents but when I pushed for reasons to their attitudes towards Voldemort and Dumbledore Sirius snapped. Lucius pushed him away with his cane while grabbing my arm to apparate. Father was unpleased, but Lucius took the fall. He has refused to explain why."_

_"Sirius snapped? " Harry asked for clarification._

_"He couldn't understand how I could ask why they stood against father, but couldn't give me a straight answer that I understood. Then I changed to asking why they sided with Dumbledore. He didn't like me telling him how Dumbledore had kidnapped me, he decided I was under imperious and tried to take me by force."_

_"What happened to Lucius?" Claws demanded._

_"Never asked father; he wouldn't tell me anyway. Draco told me he went away for two weeks but did not know why. He refused to talk about how Lucius was upon returning, only stating that I should apologise. Which I did, more out of respect than actually feeling sorry as it was his own actions that caused it. However he did it for me even and I did agree to meet Black again."_

_"The Weasleys are great." Flame interrupted the drawn out silence. "It's like a second home with them. Molly is like a mother to me. She gives me amazing food and baking all day. And her hugs are amazing, like she'd never leave you out in the cold. During term she sends care packages of baking and treats."_

_"She's more like a grandmother." Riddle commented_

_"Yeah? Her baking is the best, isn't it?"_

_"I don't remember, though I remember her fussing."_

_Flame nodded at Riddle. Neither was smiling but it was the most civil Harry had ever seen them._

_"Augusta Longbottom." Raven declared, still staring at Flame and Riddle. "My Gran. She's a bit nutty, dresses like she's blind, and often with far too many dead things, vulture hat, fox scarf, and whatnot. She's a hardass most of the time. The smallest infraction riles her right up. She can't stand Dumbledore's nosiness or Voldemort's disregard for doing things the proper way or either of their wish to control everything. If you can get her on your side she is a force to be reckoned with._

_"When they were thinking of closing down Hogwarts due to the disappearance of Ginevra Weasley. It was confirmed that she was the only person missing so gran fought to keep Hogwarts open despite Dumbledore thinking it best to close it. No one knows what drove Ginvera to petrifying several students then disappearing, but everyone who knew her agreed that she was acting strange and secretive._

_"Gran got every one of the Weasley kids into mind healers and insisted that a mind healer is stationed in the Hogwarts hospital wing. She also got it through that every year every student must see the mind healer during first term, starting with first years then going up the years. Anyone can secretly visit or suggest friends that they think are acting out of character to visit. Teachers can also arrange visits, both for students and themselves._

_"The mind healer visits are also used to check if any potions are in the student that shouldn't be or if they have magic acting upon them. Until they find out what happened to Ginevra, the measures will remain. They might stay afterwards as well."_

_"The dairy." Harry stated._

_"Was never found in my world."_

_"Ginny still got it, and it made her do those things. Wherever she is, it is with that book."_

_"I never saw it on her, or around her. You said you found it when she left it lying around."_

_"At the Weasleys, which has to feel safer than school to her. We know it's a backup for Voldemort to rise, so if it possessed her it must have used her to complete whatever ritual was needed."_

_"It was designed to suck out the soul of the victim." Riddle informed. "Her body must be left in some forgotten corner of Hogwarts."_

_"Room of requirement?" Flame suggested, which was met with silence. "On the seventh floor, you pass three times with a clear thought on what you need, which it then provides. Somewhere to go and never be found isn't as bad as say, a fully stocked quidditch pitch or a perfect copy of the room you plan to prank or home."_

_"I will try asking the room for her body, at least then she can be buried." Raven decided._

_Potter sighed before starting. "Peter Pettigrew, I'm sure not one of you have talked to him for any length of time. Dad used to take me out to Azkaban to visit him. To ensure he stayed put. Peter would beg forgiveness every time. 'I didn't mean to.', 'he forced me to.', 'I was scared.' He appeared a snivelling coward. He can be kind but will betray you rather than hold any honour. Make no mistake when dealing with him, first and foremost in his mind is how everything can help his position. The moment he starts with sweet talking you punch him the the nose because he seems to think that being nice will make people do anything for him. I take joy in proving him wrong."_

_Harry was barely surprised to see every single Harry look approving of punching Pettigrew, he couldn't help but be approving of that. Tom had a wicked smile, Flame was grinning, Riddle had his twitch of a smile at the side of his mouth, Slyther looked contemplative, as did Ryff, Hadrian had a glazed expression which Harry had come to realise was him talking fervently to Tom telepathically, and John looked like he was thinking of far more than punching Pettigrew, with his fingers twitching as they did when he was planning how to seriously harm another. When Harry met Snape's eyes it was clear that him observing the others was being observed, with a mildly amused smile and a knowing nod Snape's attention wandered away, leaving Harry feeling tense. It was too easy to forget you could be being observed when observing others._

_"Peter responds to threats, the worse, more believable and most recent ones take precedent." Potter continued without hesitation. "He is not afraid to ally himself with the biggest threat and actively searched out Voldemort whenever he knew he had something of value. His self preservation comes first and he has little fear in doing anything to get on what he sees as the side of the winner. It was why he befriended dad, it is why he betrayed dad. He is an instinctive follower, but has no loyalty. Voldemort is far less forgiving than those on the other side. Azkaban is nothing to Peter, but he is still trying to work his way out."_

_This led to a silence. Harry tried to think of a question to ask, but nothing sprung to mind. He had heard of Pettigrew's betrayal, but had never thought of why it would happen, sure he knew the history but knowing the actions doesn't show the reasons behind them._

_"Theodore Nott." Hadrian chose. "He's a quiet fellow, but smart. Like scary smart." Hadrian glanced at Snape apologetically before continuing. "One weekend I'd forgotten my potions homework needed done until halfway through Saturday, he both reminded me and ensured I'd read all the relevant text, providing exact pages and paragraphs to read to speed up my completion."_

_"It's not a person that I wish to discuss," Tom started, not giving anyone a chance to ask Hadrian anything. "Rather an old ally of mine from Hogwarts. She will still be in Hogwarts and I doubt anyone else there can get her allegiance. She is the basilisk from the secret chambers."_

_"Not everyone is a parselmouth." Riddle berated._

_"Parsel-what?" Harry asked._

_"People who can talk to snakes, like Voldemort."_

_"I can, set a Boa constrictor on Dudley once." Which got a few grins from those who had been exposed to the Dursleys too long, meanwhile Flame and Raven looked affronted._

_"It's passed down by parents; how can you be one but not me?"_

_"Dunno?"_

_"Anyone else here a parselmouth?" To which everyone raised a hand. "So only me, it must be due to being a horcrux." Riddle looked mildly annoyed about it._

_"Well, everyone but Riddle can get her alliance. Firstly to find the chamber of secrets go to Myrtle's bathroom and find the faulty sink, use parseltongue to open it. Once you're in the chambers, be kind to her but do not look at her face, even indirectly."_

_"The last message Ginevra left was that her body would rot in the chamber, and the first was that the chamber of secrets was open again. You don't think?" Raven asked._

_"Probably. I mean if it is the diary I think it is, it was made partially for immortality it could provide and partly to do what I could not seeing as Hogwarts was about to be shut down because I accidentally killed Myrtle. I had been planning to gather all the muggleborns who refused wizard culture and sympathisers in one place to take them all down at once at the end of my last year. Accidents happen."_

_A quick nod from Raven, who he looked mildly horrified, then everyone turned to Claw._

_"Morag" Claw picked. "She may not do well academically but she can think on her feet like no one else I know. To get into the Ravenclaw tower you have to answer a riddle or quiz, sometimes students get stuck out there for hours. Way back in the start of first year I got stuck when it asked me to tell it how to make draught of the living dead._

_"She showed up and rather than try and answer she argued that knowing how to create a potion designed to kill should not be required from a first year failing that subject and if the bust disagreed it could do so from the bottom of the main stairwell. It argued that it could not get there and the point of the quiz was so that they could learn from older students, she then asked me if I'd be up to helping her levitate it off its perch, and that got us in. She doesn't always threaten it, but when she does it's always new and creative. I hadn't even thought of threatening it before that."_

_"Anyone can stumble into Ravenclaw common room then?" John asked._

_"Yeah, can't everyone get into every other common room should they find it and display something of the houses traits?"_

_"Slytherins have a password."_

_"Gryffindor too." Flame provided._

_"Hufflepuff have to be determined, lucky or let in by someone." Potter told them. "The guard likes to go for wanders and sets up a second password when he does, so either you look for him, and he can be anywhere in the castle; once I found him in Dumbledore's office, or you guess random words at the canvas, or you wait until someone leaves . Only if you're lucky the guard will be there."_

_"Why not bang on the wall?"_

_"Soundproof. At the weekend we try to ensure someone stays in the common room and the door is opened at least every hour. Promotes unity according to Professor Sprout. Whenever we see the guard around we try to send him home, though he often doesn't actually go back if you don't follow him and he rarely stays long."_

_Harry could tell that he wasn't the only one currently planning on finding the other common rooms, Flame had his planning a prank face, Ryff was thoughtful as were Riddle and Raven, though everyone else was now watching Ryff. Claw nudged him into talking._

_"Hermione Granger, I know she is dead in a couple of your worlds but those where she isn't I feel I should warn you about her. She is opinionated, strong willed and academically driven. She can lose her head if someone's homework isn't done several days in advance." Harry nodded his agreement. "She's not one to mess with. Great asset on your side, even if her spells aren't as strong as others, her sharp mind makes up for it. Recently I found out how badly she's impressed by heroism, something Flame has mentioned, completely a hero worshiper, and a pain if you're on her radar. I've been taking anti-love potion after it became apparent that she was desperate enough to try that."_

_"She can be a good friend." Harry argued._

_"Maybe you should take some too?"_

_"I'm not in love with her. She's a good friend, she gives me books that she thinks will interest me, and was one of the few that supports my decisions, though questions them if it is warranted. Plus she got Ron to see my side of things so we could make up."_

_"I've told you before that idiot isn't worth your time."_

_"He really worked on his apology and is now trying to do better academically though he still prioritises fun. Have you ever played Chess with him? In my world at least, he's one of the best, his tactics are great, or that's what everyone says seeing as the whole game goes over my head."_

_"Draco laments the fact he can't beat Ron." Riddle provided. "But that is hardly proof of ability on an actual field. How is he at taking stock of situations? Leadership? Without those skills his chess prowess will go unharnessed."_

_"He's good at reading a quidditch pitch, tends to play keeper when he can, outside that he can be oblivious. Dunno about leadership, other than in first year when he took charge on the chess bit before the stone I've never seen him step up."_

_"In several worlds he steps up, in mine he often takes charge of Gryffindors when clashes happen, he is good at directing them but not enough to slaughter us. If it came to a real fight he wouldn't last long."_

_Ryff was gaping. Harry felt thankful to Riddle for defending Ron even as he seemingly attacked him. Now Harry had to get his Ron to work on those things. He would have discuss it with Riddle who was brought up to lead and read potentially deadly situations at a glance._

_"Seeing as I don't really talk to adults outside of the teachers or other children I think I'll say what I've observed of Blaise Zabini." John began. "He is a flirt, but anyone who responds ends up having a run of what I can only call bad luck._

_"He is a pureblood elitist to the extreme that makes Draco appear a Muggle and Muggleborn lover. He doesn't have time for anyone with less than pure blood, unless they are female without living muggle relatives and are attractive and then he's only interested until the luck he seems to give pursuers gives them a mark on their faces or someone better comes along."_

_"You know his mother had seven husbands who each died in mysterious circumstances. Wonder if that luck is hereditary and that's why friends don't abandon her?" Raven theorised. "And she's considered a beauty, which is why she always gets another man."_

_Slowly everyone turned to Harry, "erm, well I was going to talk about Ron but I kinda did that already?" He laughed nervously. "Guess I could talk about McGonagall? She's extremely focused on discipline, especially if you are in Gryffindor and on her good side. I thought she was bad in first year after Draco tattled on us for being out after curfew, but now I'm lucky not to get detention if she sees me with my tie squint. But she rewards knowledge with points, regardless of house, and good behaviour with letting your next slip up by with less fuss. But you've probably already worked that out._

_"I could imagine her doing well in the military." Ryff joked, most of the Dursley raised laughed, Harry imagined her in Army get up, but made of tartan, which did it for him. The wizard raised looked at them as though they were bonkers. John explained, as the unofficial muggle expert._

_"McGonagall choose magic over love shortly after leaving Hogwarts," Harry continued after John had finished fielding questions, now moving onto things he only knew because he'd lived with her, "she did find love again though she wasn't lucky enough to have children of her own before she was widowed. She loves her job and will defend any student from any other should she see them fighting. Even defending a Slytherin from a Gryffindor. She sees that as a travesty that shows we are no better than how many paint Slytherins. She was a hat stall, very nearly Ravenclaw, and it is shown in her private library that takes up an entire room in her modest cottage."_

_Everyone looked at Harry curiously, except Riddle who was aware that Harry had basically been forced to agree to stay with her or make it clear he wasn't on Dumbledore's side before he'd even got one ally to stand with. Riddle also knew many of the other reasons, like access to her private library and potential visits to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade outside of term time that had kept him there._

_"My father," Slyther offered, tearing his eyes away from Harry to focus on the others, "Rodolphus Lestrange. He was the one who suggested rearing me, seeing as they knew that Voldemort survived and thought he may live in me. He is a rather strict disciplinarian who rarely fails to mention my lacking blood status must be met with unparalleled skill. Like Voldemort's._

_"He gets along well with mother, but their romantic interests lie elsewhere, and from how they talk I think that has always been the case, however father always wanted children of his own, but he didn't want to bring them up in a world where muggleborns kept getting more important and his beliefs were seen as a bad thing._

_"He, like mother, places Death Eater duties as paramount, and has great joy in serving his master and his part in raising me because of my heir title. He has asked me to back him on having a child with mother, so they have their own heir and I could have a brother. It is a point of continual contention in our house, and I don't think either of them actually cares for my opinion in the matter, or Voldemort's, who hasn't stated which way he falls but berates them should they disrupt his thinking with their arguments._

_"I would be careful of Rodolphus should you side against Voldemort. He is more than willing to die for the cause. However show him a baby and he melts. It's quite funny really, seeing as mother would happily throw it out the window rather than care for it, she did that to Draco several times before he grew on her. Father did most of my early days' care and taught me to speak, and she never complained because she didn't want to be the one who threw the Dark Lord out of a window. And yes that is what she thought as she was the one who told me because father never talks about it."_


	8. Mad-eye Moody

**1st September 1994**

_“Imagine having that fame, glory and money. Doesn't it make you want to try? If only we could get past the stupid age line.” Ron said for the umpteenth time._

_“Fame,” Harry disagreed, perhaps later then he ought to have, “is awful, glory isn't worth the time, and I already have money. The whole thing seems stupid, high chance of death, I already have Voldemort after me I don't need to seek out more ways to die.”_

_“Yeah, I suppose you're right. Though money's still good, even if you’re loaded. Checkmate.”_

_“I forgot about the horse.”_

_“I know you did that on purpose.”_

_“What?” Harry grinned as he began replacing the pieces and repairing those that needed it, Ron's chessboard was as haggard as the rest of his things and some of the self healing charms were wearing off. “I'm actually trying to get some skill at this.”_

_“You know it's called a knight.”_

_“It is night, maybe we should go to bed?”_

_Ron swatted a cushion at him before agreeing. ‘Dad jokes’ were something new to Harry, but he found them fun to play with, though he wasn't nearly as good as Potter._

**6 th September 1994**

_Refuge was unusually quiet when Harry arrived. He decided to write in his journal before everyone appeared. He opened his office to find Riddle staring at his fire. He almost backed out because it felt like he had walked into something private._

_“Mad-eye Moody.” Riddle’s solemn words stopped him completely._

_“You got him too huh?”_

_“But it's not him. The eye moves weird, I know everyone says it does that anyway but it looks like it isn't being cared for, it isn't always fluid. And he does this thing with his tongue which is something Barty Crouch does with his.” Riddle did a demonstration of the weird tick, a quick flick in and out. “And he doesn't stink of booze, which is what everyone thinks is in that flask.”_

_“He thinks everyone's out to get him, I doubt he would ever drink anything that could impair him in any capacity.”_

_“Yes, that makes sense, but it still feels off. Especially since he openly opposed father right up until father succeeded in proving Dumbledore to be just as bad as Grindelwald, if not worse. Lupin last year was weird enough, but at least he wasn't hugely vocal and seemed to only wish to know me because he knew dad.”_

_“Why come to me?”_

_“Gryffin, ” Riddle gravely began, but didn't continue, instead flopped back in his chair._

_“Yes?” Harry ventured, worried about Riddle was about to say._

_“I've never had a friend, equal, before, is it not done that we come to each other with worries and things? Just to say it out loud even?”_

_“Oh. I thought you wanted me to come up with some mad theory like the Crouch is impersonating him? I mean he's organising the tournament, he doesn't need to fake being a teacher?”_

_“Crouch? Organising the tournament? No, it's Percy Weasley and Ludo Bagman.”_

_“Oh. Anyway I've met Crouch and he has never done that in my presence.”_

_“No? I think you're talking about the father of my Crouch, he's long dead in my world.”_

_“Didn't know he has a son.”_

_“He was a death eater, probably in Azkaban, he's not the type-”_

_A knock at the door interrupted Riddle._

_“Yes?” Harry asked, receiving a disappointed look from Riddle, most likely because of Harry’s lack of formality._

_“It's Potter, came I come in?”_

_“I guess?” Harry replied and watched Riddle straightened, eyes back to the fire before the door opened._

_“Oh, you have company, I'll come back.”_

_“No, I'll leave. Gryffin, Potter.” Riddle nodded to them as he said their names, stood, while his chair turned to mist, then left._

_“He's always so formal.” Potter observed, lounging on one of the visitor chairs. “I came here to apologise. Took me a while to find out that you were the one I hit with the bleeding hex, and even longer to get someone to give me an idea for something to give you. The only things we can give each other is knowledge, and no one seems to know what interests you.”_

_“Many things interest me.”_

_“You can see how that makes it hard? Anyway while I talked to Slyther it became apparent you haven't picked a side regarding Voldemort. Now I know we aren't supposed to push our views, so I'm not saying to side what side to take, only that it is extremely unwise to not pick a side. Voldemort will likely look for that prophecy, if he thinks you're going to, or even might, fight him when he finds it he will hunt you. The only bad choice when there is a moral decision is not picking where you stand._

_“After a while of checking the books here and that I have access to at Hogwarts, Hufflepuff shelves, I found something missing that I thought you might make use of.” Potter passed him a book entitled ‘wands through the ages’ Before continuing. “Now I know it seems silly, but if you end up in a duel wands can play a big part. Dad always said that you can tell more about a wizard by his wand and how he holds it than talking to him for years. This briefly talks about wand loyalty and brother wands, though not in much depth. If you are interested in wand lore I have read more detailed books I could direct you to. And at least a basic understanding of brother wands, when we have that with Voldemort, would be advisable.”_

_“Thanks, and I'll accept your apology.”_

_Potter smiled. “You know, you could have fun. I mean it's not a bad thing to be a child every so often, when you are with those you trust. Dad and Sirius still acted like children more often than not at home, but they were great Aurors. I was thinking of arranging a Swivenhodge game, if you're interested?”_

_“Swivenhodge?”_

_“John likened it to Volleyball? On brooms?”_

_“I'll try it.”_

_“I was hoping to run a weekly games thing. Could do quidditch in future, if we get the numbers, but might have arguments over who plays what. And there are other wizard games that might be interesting to Dursley raised, and you lot could share muggle games.”_

_“Never really learnt many, Dursleys had me as a house elf. I only know some muggle sports from school that I could share.”_

_Somehow Potter’s smile grew, Harry wondered if he ever looked that pleased anymore. He was sure back in first year discovering magic for the first time he must of beamed a lot, but now he was much more serious and far harder to impress. He also pondered if this weekly sharing of games counted as a lesson. He supposed it did, learning games that are part of wizarding culture could give him things to talk to Ron about that was not Quidditch or chess, which was the majority of their conversations now. And it would allow him to share his knowledge, which he hadn’t done much and felt a little guilty and useless because of it._

**7th September 1994**

“Malfoy, can I have a moment?” Harry asked at the end of defence class, having noticed all the ticks Riddle had noted.

“What do you want Potter?”

Not an unexpected response, he hadn't started operation Not Be Enemies With Everyone, apart from leaving unlabelled gifts for Snape. “Only a moment. I'll even let you have your wand out and trained on me.”

“What are you doing?” Hermione whispered.

“It’s fine, I'll see you at lunch.”

Hermione gave him a look that clearly said this conversation would be picked up again there before leaving and dragging Ron with her.

“Alright, Potter. But I choose where.”

Harry nodded, and was mildly surprised, and amused, as Malfoy re-entered their defence class.

“What's this about?” Malfoy barked as he rounded on Harry, who couldn't help but think it unbecoming of a Malfoy.

“Could we stop being hostile rivals?” Harry responded earnestly, his initial question put on hold when faced with Malfoy being angry.

“You were the one who rejected my friendship.”

“And you were the one who got us into the forbidden forest and fled when you saw Voldemort, the second chance to show you might be a friend I'd want, and have been attacking me without any provocation. But that's in the past, I want to start afresh. Anyway it might be nice to not be worried that you'll hex me for ignoring you.”

“He, who, should, not, be, named?” Malfoy stammered quietly, before demanding. “Aunt Bella was right when she decided to search for him? He didn't die when he tried to kill you? What happened to him?”

“Oh, he died all right, but has magic in place that make it bloody hard to keep him dead. He hasn't returned to the living yet, I believe, so about an official truce?” This was far from anything he had discussed with Riddle, but he felt that his Draco didn't see him in the light Riddle thought he did. Riddle believed that any attempt to talk to Malfoy alone would lead to being hexed. And anyway it was about time he showed some Gryffindor courage.

“You think he'll rise, and you want to befriend me?” Malfoy sounded like he thought this was a dream, or at least completely surreal and bonkers.

“Think? No, I know he will if I don't do anything about it. And not befriend, I'm not sure we can be friends, I'm willing to try though.”

“Since you want me to consider this, I give you a month to impress me.” Malfoy said walking passed Harry to leave.

“Erm, Malfoy, that's not why I asked to talk.”

“Then what _was_?” Malfoy demanded without turning to face him.

“You know more about wizards than me, does minister Crouch have any family?”

“He had a wife and son, they died years ago, son in Azkaban, wife shortly after in her grief. If you read old Prophets you would find this information.”

“Thanks.” Harry let him leave. At least he could assure Riddle that Mad-eye Moody had that tick all on his own. He decided to not go to lunch in the hall, rather than have that argument in public he chose the kitchens and a quick return to their common room to read and wait for Hermione, Colin or Ron to realise he wasn't coming. Which gave himself time to work out how to impress Draco, and how to stop them going crazy at the very idea of Harry being friends with Draco. Though neither solution presented itself before Hermione arrived demanding what Harry had been wanting from Draco.

**21st October 1994**

“Today I wish to discuss the worst Curses. The unforgivable curses.” Moody began.

“But sir they are illegal.” Hermione protested.

“Yes; but not everyone sticks to the rules, do they girl?” Hermione didn't respond, Moody nodded. “Yes. Does anyone know one of the curses? Neville?”

“The cruciatus curse sir.” Neville said nervously as he lowered his hand.

“Ah yes, the torture curse. Held long enough it can ensure madness.” Moody they unveiled a spider like creature, Ron gulped quietly. “Crucio.” The creature shrieked and curled into itself. Many flinched. Harry wondered what it felt like; sure others in Refuge had described it but he doubted he would understand before it hit him.

“Stop it, stop it!” Hermione called. “Can't you see it's affecting him?” Harry glanced around in time to see that Hermione had indicated Neville shaking, on the verge of tears.

Moody stopped the curse. “Sorry, sorry about that. But you have to know what you might face should another dark lord rise. Right can anyone name another one?”

“Imperius.” One of girls provided.

“Ahh yes, you'll know all about that. Your aunt had some issues with that in the ministry didn't she?” The girl nodded. “Imperio. Now I can make it do anything, dance on the table? Your head?” Ron shook as it landed and did a tap dance on his head, many of the other students laughed. “What should I do next? Make it jump out the window?” silence fell. “Drown itself? It is a horrible thing to have all choice ripped from you. Though it can be resisted, only few people ever manage it.” He made the creature land on his hand, where it shivered and shook. “There is one left, Miss Granger if you would?”

“No sir, I will _not_.”

“So you know it, do you wish me to leave it as it is?”

Hermione looked like she was about to cry as she stuttered. “The killing curse.”

“Yes, the killing curse, kills in an instant. Avada kedavra.” He dropped the corpse on his desk. “Of course one person has been known to survive the curse, we have him right here within this very room. What do you think made you survive when no one else did? Only with a scar to show that one of the most powerful wizards tried to kill you?”

Harry didn't respond, but he flinched away from Moody's hand as it came too close to his forehead.

“You were a baby, why would you remember? Right. Onto what I want to teach you; how to resist the imperius curse.”

He picked Harry first, Harry didn't even flinch. The curse coming from someone that wasn't Riddle made it seem weak. Barely a voice at the back of his head, and its foreign nature was more obvious.

“Are you resistant to unforgivable curses?”

“I don't think I can mitigate cruciatus. I'd rather not try.”

“Very wise. Does anyone think they can manage even a bit of that self-control? Malfoy? When your father couldn't do it once while under it for years?”

No one else even managed to break the curse for even a moment. Harry found the whole thing chilling. It would have been amusing to watch Ron attempt to dance on his desk under normal circumstances but there was something off about how he moved, something stiff. The same when Hermione was made to jog the room singing Christmas carols.

Also there was the looks Harry got from the others. The ones that had now felt the curse; that did not seem friendly, mostly fearful or cautious. Harry was sure that if he wasn’t careful this would become public knowledge and partly wished he’d listened to the voice.

**31 st October 1994**

_“Did anyone else have their name come out as a fourth name?” Claws asked._

_“Yeah.” Harry responded, along with several others,_

_“Wish I hadn't been,” Flame continued, “no one’s talking to me.”_

_“Uh-huh,” Hadrian responded, “but I knew that was going to happen, Tom arranged it.”_

_“I was the third champion.” Riddle was the only one that had been able to put his name forwards as there was no age restriction in his world, and he had, though Harry didn't think anyone else knew._

_“Same, I was third.” Raven stated._

_“What about the rest of us?” Ryff asked. “The ones not sided with Voldemort. It can't be coincidence that all of us had our name come out like that. I mean Raven got the Hogwarts spot but he didn’t put his name forwards.” Raven nodded._

_“Yes.” Riddle agreed, turning to Tom. “How did you do it?”_

_“You know Mad-eye Moody? I discovered he was due to take the defence position. Neurotic man with useful ticks for me. I sent a couple of death eaters with a polyjuice potion to capture then have one of then impersonate him. They confounded the goblet to think there was a fourth house, one that only had Harry Potter as a student and to place his name in the goblet.”_

_“Barty Crouch Junior.” Riddle surmised._

_“He's dead in my world, who else has that tick?” Harry argued._

_“What tick?” Tom asked, Harry tried to demonstrate it. “He might not be as dead as you think.”_

_“Died in Azkaban, hardly going to be a case of mistaken identity.”_

_“He died like that in my world too, but his name appeared in Snape's store cabinet on the Marauder's map.” Flame argued. “I mean I thought it was the minister for international relations, but later found out he wasn't even on the grounds at the time, then I kind of forgot. But the map never lies.” Flame vanished, back to his world undoubtedly._

_“My Moody has never done that thing with his tongue.” Raven informed. “But I've started having weird daydreams and when I have them my scar hurts. They're always of this corridor which I don't recognise and there's always someone guarding this door that I want through. The desire burns afterwards. Any ideas?”_

_“Likely department of mysteries; it's a plant.” Potter informed. “He's looking for the prophecy now that he's risen without anyone's knowledge. It's how I discovered the prophecy’s existence and then tracked it down when no one was paying me enough attention one evening.”_

_“How close are you two?” Slyther asked Harry as the room started small conversations awaiting Flames return. “You and Riddle.” He clarified when Harry didn't respond apart from a questioning look. And Harry chose not to respond to that at all, focusing on the floor unblinking as possible. “It's clear, in so many of your interactions. Specifically by the way you defended his father when he was jumping to conclusions, he defended Ron, sort of, and it's clear you've discussed random things in private with him. Only four of us would know that tick, you didn't speak to me, Tom wouldn't have asked for clarification if you spoke to Hadrian which leaves Riddle.”_

_“That's the point of here, to learn about people and things we wouldn't be able to in our own world, isn't it?”_

_“You sound like him. You're allowed to be friends, I mean we're friends? I'm only-”_

_“Moody is in his study.” Flame announced as he returned. “But so is Crouch. I'm going to confront them.” Flame was gone before anyone said anything else._

_“That will go splendidly, how will we know if he dies?” Hadrian asked._

_“If he doesn't return I'll have to go home and look into his world.” Riddle told them. “If I die this place may stop existing.”_

_“We should work on a way to talk through our worlds, if you can view them we should be able to find a way to communicate.” Potter theorised._

_“We could also talk to versions of people that are amenable to our questions.” Snape said, drawing Harry's intrigue, why not ask another Harry to answer the question? Or pass it on? There had to be a reason Snape had thought of that, and it would mean trusting the person with Refuge. “We should make it a group project. It would be good if we could communicate even after losing this place.”_

_“I will ask father about it, he should be able to come up with a solution far faster than us.” Riddle answered. “Though we could still try and come up with something in the meantime.”_


End file.
